Mark Herron told his wife of 35 years he loved her as she ended her life through voluntary assisted dying.

Moya Jackson decided the pain was too much after enduring nearly four years of multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a major surgery to treat pancreatic cancer.

Surrounded by family and friends in the couple's home in Bundaberg, Mr Herron shared a final glass of champagne with his wife as she took the voluntary assisted dying (VAD) substance on March 1.

"She sat back in the chair and in about five or 10 minutes she was asleep," Mr Herron said.

Ms Jackson, 68, was one of 793 Queenslanders who legally ended their life through the VAD scheme between July 2023 and June 2024.

Data from the second annual report from the VAD Review Board showed of the 1,560 people who completed a first assessment, more than half lived in a regional or remote area.

That was despite 65 per cent of Queenslanders living in Brisbane and surrounds.

'Non-existent' awareness

Advocates for the scheme, such as Mr Herron, have been working to raise its visibility.

But he said it remained a mystery to many Queenslanders.

"They're reliant on medical professionals at least providing information if and when they come up against a potentially terminal situation."

Mr Herron, who is a member of VAD awareness group Dying with Dignity, said members had dropped information brochures to every GP's office across Wide Bay, set up a Facebook group and held information sessions.

"We managed to get the word out here but still a lot of doctors are unaware of the existence and process of VAD," he said.

He and Ms Jackson campaigned for the scheme to be legalised in Queensland, which happened in January 2023.

The pair watched Ms Jackson's brother starve himself to death after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in 2018, and wanted to act.

"He was in so much pain, when they put him into hospital for pain control he never left, they just kept him on morphine until he died," Mr Herron said.

He said his wife's in-depth knowledge of the VAD process helped her navigate the system easily but said other members of the community might not have the same experience.

"There are a lot of people who are diagnosed with terminal illnesses who the day before didn't know that day was going to happen," he said.

Push for end-of-life education

The VAD Review Board has recommended improving awareness about the scheme among healthcare workers as a top priority.

It has also suggested Queensland Health engage with Primary Health Networks to ensure GPs and rural generalists are aware of their rights and responsibilities.

Under Queensland legislation, individual clinicians who conscientiously object to participating as a VAD practitioner are legally required to provide information to patients who wish to access the scheme.

"The review board is aware of instances where there may have been delays for some people accessing voluntary assisted dying in Queensland," the report said.

"Confusion around legal obligations may also deter medical practitioners and nurse practitioners from initiating conversations about voluntary assisted dying."

Queensland Health says it has delivered VAD educational materials to more than 300 general practices across the state.

"We are also delivering extensive training and development opportunities to our health workforce to boost their understanding of VAD and their ability to communicate the scheme to the community,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Queensland Health would consider the board’s recommendation and was not aware of reported incidents of individual clinicians failing to fulfil their legal obligations.

'I'm so proud'

When Rose Boothroyd was given 12 months to live after fighting bowel cancer for three years, she knew she wanted to end her life through VAD. 

Her husband Paul Boothroyd said she had already spent years campaigning for the VAD legislation from her home in Townsville. 

When her condition deteriorated, Rose went into palliative care where practitioners administered the VAD substance on October 17 last year with her family at her side.

"It's always upsetting and stressful … but it would have been a hell of a lot worse if I had to sit there and watch her die in agony.

"She went with a smile on her face … she just went to sleep."

Nearly one year on from his wife's death, Mr Boothroyd said while it was still difficult to share Rose's story, he hoped speaking about it would help normalise end-of-life care conversations.

"The only thing I would say to people is if they've had loved ones do it [VAD], don't keep it a secret," he said.

"I'm happy to talk about it, I'm so proud of her."