Background
Voluntary assisted dying data from services across Australia shows that majority of people seeking VAD are concurrently receiving palliative care, suggesting that effective, quality end-of-life care would be advantaged by seamless collaboration between palliative care and VAD services. 

Aim
To present an exemplar case study incorporating collaboration between VAD services and palliative care resulting in optimal patient and family outcomes. 

Method
This case study describes the cross-service management of a 47-year-old male patient diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer. The patient was known to a specialist community palliative care team for over one year, where he received ongoing symptom management and psychosocial support for himself, his wife and his three children. 

Results
Prior to the introduction of VAD in Queensland on 1/1/2023, the patient discussed the possibility of VAD with palliative care staff.  When VAD was legalised the palliative care staff referred the patient to the VAD service. The patient provided consent to allow both services to discuss his condition and provide on-going care. After he was assessed as eligible for VAD, palliative care staff addressed both his and his family’s VAD questions. Both services remained in close communication, delivering an effective working relationship and integrated care. The patient was able to self-administer the VAD substance in his home in the presence of his family. The palliative care service then provided bereavement care for the family.

Discussion
This case demonstrates how a collaborative approach between specialist palliative care and VAD services can result in quality end-of-life care for palliative patients seeking VAD. 

The patient’s request to access VAD triggered a cascade of collaborative service interactions aimed at accommodating his preferred place, time and manner of death. 

Such case studies could be used to inform guidelines that highlight barriers and enablers in the context of patient care and effective interservice collaboration.