Stop plans to allow telehealth for euthanasia and assisted suicide in Australia

• Currently, Federal Law in Australia (Criminal Code Act 1995 Subdivision G) prohibits doctors and others inciting or counselling suicide over the phone or internet.
• Contact between Doctor and patient must be made at a meeting in person for assessment and approvals - enacted to stop those who prey on vulnerable people offering death over the internet
• Our aim is to keep the law as it is.
• However, there are moves to change the law. The Australian newspaper (July 2022) revealed ''concerns'' doctors were fined $222,000 for discussing euthanasia via telehealth. The article also stated Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is investigating changes to the law.
• Alarmingly, to circumvent the Federal law the state of Queensland will use taxpayers' funds for "Fly in, Fly out" doctors (the Australian 5/12/22) to fly to regional Queensland to "help terminally ill patients end their lives''.

So…

Please write to your federal representatives in the Parliament of Australia:

Urge your representatives NOT to repeal laws preventing doctors using telehealth for assisted suicide and euthanasia.

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT IS RESUMING ON 6 FEBRUARY 2023.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.  You have ONE Member of the House of Representatives to contact.

SENATE: There are 76 senators, 12 from each state and two each from the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.  The same letter can be sent to each person.

Key points:

• Telehealth consultation for euthanasia and assisted suicide is a dramatic step down a perilous path.  Physicians would be authorised to prescribe death to patients - without seeing them in person.
• The availability of telehealth makes doctor shopping easier and increases the risk that factors impairing judgement such as depression may not be detected.
• Such telehealth consultations are the most serious step in a patient's life. The consultation must be treated with seriousness - it is a "life and death" decision.
• Palliative care accompanies patients through the various stages of dying.  Depriving patients of this care and relegating them to merely a video link is irresponsible.
• There would be no adequate safeguard from exploitation - such as elder abuse - so rampant, yet hard to detect - in a brief video-link in which "abusers" may well be present.
• Using a video consultation may lead to impulsive decision making.
• Governments should not use taxpayers’ money to fly doctors in to circumvent a law which exists to provide safeguards to protect vulnerable patients.

For more information on telehealth/euthanasia: Video interview with UK Professor John Wyatt.

Kristen Hanson, 14 July 2020, The Washington Times - When Telemedicine can be dangerous - even deadly.

Eugene Ahern – January 2023.  A Case to Oppose Legalisation of Telehealth Consultations for Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.

If the information raises issues, Lifeline telephone crisis line 13 11 14 (24-hour assistance) is available.