TELEHEALTH DANGER AHEAD
Stop plans to allow telehealth for euthanasia and assisted suicide in Australia
- Over the past few months we have asked supporters to contact their Federal representatives to ask them NOT to repeal current laws preventing doctors using telehealth for assisted suicide and euthanasia.
- Currently, Federal Law in Australia (Criminal Code Act 1995 Subdivision G) prohibits doctors counselling suicide over the phone or internet.
- Contact between Doctor and patient must be made in person for assessment and approvals.
- Our aim is to keep the law as it is. However, there are moves to change the law. Federal Attorneys-General met on 28 April 2023. Participants discussed the interaction between voluntary assisted dying laws and Commonwealth criminal laws but no information about a decision was has been forthcoming so far. Read the COMMUNIQUÉ.
Urge your representatives NOT to repeal laws preventing doctors using telehealth for assisted suicide and euthanasia.
|
PLEASE contact your Member of the House of Representatives AND Senators. IT IS NOT TO LATE TO DO SO!You have ONE (1) Member of the House of Representative to contact. There are There are 76 senators, 12 from each state and two each from the ACT and the Northern Territory. Download contact details of your representatives EITHER: |
- 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 - a person will be able to be assessed for doctor assisted suicide and euthanasia via electronic communication - with a doctor who may not have even met them.
- Imagine the death toll if Death by Telehealth goes ahead! Already in Victoria the Andrews' government's euthanasia law of 2017 has led to more than 900 deaths (official figures). * We were told initially there would be only approximately 12 a year!
- Dr Stephen Parnis, Melbourne Emergency Physician said use of Telehealth to assess patients for assisted suicide would be "horrifying!" (Weekend Australian 25/26 Feb 2023)
- The availability of telehealth makes doctor shopping easier and increases the risk that factors impairing judgement such as depression may not be detected.
- 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.
If the information raises issues, Lifeline telephone crisis line 13 11 14 (24-hour assistance) is available.
The Right to Life Australia Inc. defends the right to life of all human beings from conception until natural death. We lobby government for legal protection of the most vulnerable in society – the unborn baby, elderly, sick and those with disabilities.