People with Alzheimer's disease or dementia will not be able to access euthanasia under the WA Government's proposed voluntary assisted dying legislation.

Key points: The check is one of two main safeguards set to feature in the assisted dying bill

The check is one of two main safeguards set to feature in the assisted dying bill Two witnesses must also prove they won't benefit financially from the patient's death

Two witnesses must also prove they won't benefit financially from the patient's death Health professionals are divided over the move to allow voluntary euthanasia

An expert advisory panel tasked with providing guidelines for the legalisation of assisted dying has delivered its report to State Parliament, handing down 31 recommendations including a number of guidelines on who would be able to access euthanasia.

Euthanasia would be limited to people who have decision-making capacity, with an eligible condition, and where death is reasonably foreseeable within 12 months.

The restriction covering Alzheimer's or dementia patients was one of two primary safeguards included in the report that are set to feature in the draft legislation.

In addition, two witnesses required for any request for euthanasia from the terminally ill would need to prove they would not benefit financially from the person's death.

Two medical practitioners would have to assess the patient and be satisfied they meet the criteria.

The report also recommended practitioners not be compelled to participate, but that they tell the patient immediately about their objection.

Supporters of assisted dying rallied after plans to draft the legislation were announced. ( ABC News: Eliza Laschon )

A debate we need to have: Cook

Health Minister Roger Cook said the "informed and sensitive" report outlined compassionate and safe guidelines for voluntary assisted dying.

"We know that there is consistent, widespread community support for voluntary assisted dying reform in Western Australia," he said.

"This will be a difficult debate, it's one about which people have many strong views, but it's a debate that I think the community is ready for.

"It needs to be a debate about compassion, about safety and about providing people with a choice about they way they end their lives."

Health Minister Roger Cook discusses the report with panel chairman Malcolm McCusker. ( ABC News: Benjamin Gubana )

Panel chairman and former governor Malcolm McCusker said a lot of work had gone into the report.

"The work of this panel has very successfully, in my view, navigated the so-called minefield to produce a report and recommendations which I believe will provide the two things that we are seeking," he said.

"Compassion for those who are suffering and facing death, and safeguards against all kinds of possibilities."

Cancer sufferer 'would have been first in the queue': Wife

Peta Quinlivan's husband Russell died from cancer in 2015.

"If the voluntary assisted dying law had been in place in 2015, when my husband was ill, he would have been first in the queue," Ms Quinlivan said.

"Unfortunately for my husband, he ended up not being able to do any of the things that he loved, because he was diagnosed with a shocking type of cancer … which had the most horrendous symptoms.

"That really contributed so much to him suffering. And suffer he did. He would have chosen this if he had the option."

Peter Abetz from the Australian Christian Lobby said WA's proposed laws had fewer safeguards than the legislation introduced in Victoria last week.

"That is of real concern, because we don't know how the Victorian safeguards will actually work out in practise," he said.

"But what we do know is that in every jurisdiction that has gone down the path of physician-assisted suicide, there have been wrongful deaths."

Peter Abetz is concerned there aren't enough safeguards in WA's proposed legislation. ( ABC News: Rebecca Carmody )

Plea for 'open, respectful' debate

Dying With Dignity WA president Steve Walker said the report was a significant milestone in the development of voluntary assisted dying legislation in the state.

"We look forward to seeing legislation introduced into Parliament in the latter half of this year, and to an open and respectful debate," he said.

"We trust that Members of Parliament voting on this important legislation will reflect the views of the community and legislate for a safe and compassionate voluntary assisted dying law.

"Dying With Dignity WA will continue to advocate for more end-of-life choices, including calling for a voluntary assisted dying law, voicing support for increased palliative care funding, and assisting in greater promotion of advance health directives."

Other recommendations in the report included that the patient must be over 18 years old and have been WA resident for 12 months — although there was capacity to shorten the residency timeframe on appeal to the State Administrative Tribunal.

The report also recommended the patient make three requests for voluntary assisted dying before it goes ahead.

The first would be as an oral request to the patient's practitioner, the second a written request witnessed by two people, and a third, final oral request to the practitioner.

AMA labels WA proposal 'dangerous'

Australian Medical Association WA president Omar Khorshid said he was disappointed in the report's recommendations.

"It has recommended a regime for WA that is not as safe as the regime that's just started in Victoria only a week ago," Dr Khorshid said.

"And in fact some of the safeguards that have been recommended in Victoria have been rejected by the panel, despite the fact that there's been less than a week to in fact learn from those safeguards.

"There is no justification for slipping down the slope into a bad regime that is in fact dangerous."

Victoria became the first state in the country to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill when MPs voted in favour of it in 2017.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 41 seconds 1 m 41 s How pharmacists will dispense drugs to eligible Victorians under the state's assisted dying laws

Dr Khorshid said there were some stark differences between the Victorian legislation and the panel's recommendations for WA.

"The one that I think will have the most impact is the fact that any two doctors, or in fact just a doctor and a nurse, can take a patient through this pathway without having to seek any form of approval," he said.

"In Victoria there is a permit system which means there is some level of oversight over whether the processes have been followed, over whether the laws have been adhered to."

Dr Khorshid believes there are not enough safeguards in the proposed legislation. ( ABC News: Emily Piesse )

Dr Khorshid also took issue with the broad timeframe within which a patient can be eligible to be considered for voluntary euthanasia.

"The longer the period, the more difficult it is to be sure," he said.

"And there's no doubt that by picking 12 months instead of six months like Victoria, that it's going to be harder for doctors to be sure, and it's going to really broaden the number of people that are potentially eligible for voluntary assisted dying."

The Government will introduce its legislation to Parliament in August.