Allow telehealth for VAD

Allow telehealth for VAD

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A federal law makes it a crime to use electronic communications to discuss VAD - this includes telehealth and even email or phone calls.

It was passed in 2005 and was designed to prevent suicide chat rooms, not medical care.  

VAD is not suicide, but this law makes it a crime for doctors and other healthcare workers to use these methods to discuss VAD with patients and their families.

It means VAD discussions must happen face to face.

For people in regional areas and those who are unable to travel it is more difficult, or even impossible, to access VAD.

This ...

A federal law makes it a crime to use electronic communications to discuss VAD - this includes telehealth and even email or phone calls.

It was passed in 2005 and was designed to prevent suicide chat rooms, not medical care.  

VAD is not suicide, but this law makes it a crime for doctors and other healthcare workers to use these methods to discuss VAD with patients and their families.

It means VAD discussions must happen face to face.

For people in regional areas and those who are unable to travel it is more difficult, or even impossible, to access VAD.

This could be easily fixed by excluding VAD from the prohibition but the federal government refuses to deal with it.

Please send a message to Attorney-General Michelle Rowland and ask her to make this small change.

Here are some things you could mention in your message:

  • This law unfairly impacts people in regional areas and those unable to travel for face to face consultations. 
  • Doctors should not be criminalised when providing legal medical care.
  • The AMA and other medical bodies have asked the federal goverment to fix this problem.
  • The major suicide prevention groups support this change - they do not consider VAD to be suicide.
  • The federal law was not intended to prevent access to medical care. There is no other medical service which is restricted in this way. 

Please send your message today. You will receive a copy too.

Dying with Dignity NSW

dwdnsw.org.au 


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Ask the Federal Attorney General to fix this unfair law

Attorney General Michelle Rowland has the power to make this happen.

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