The Australian Medical Association this week renewed calls for the federal government to remove legal barriers preventing doctors from using telehealth to discuss voluntary assisted dying (VAD) with patients.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen welcomed the announcement from Kate Chaney MP, Independent federal member for Curtin, to reintroduce the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill which would support patients who want to talk to a doctor about VAD via telehealth. This follows the move at Labor’s national conference on the weekend to write into the party’s platform support for telehealth as part of voluntary assisted dying care.
‘The AMA has long called for changes to federal legislation that currently make it an offence to use a “carriage service” (such as a telephone, videoconference, email or other forms of electronic communication) to publish or distribute material that counsels or incites suicide,’ Dr McMullen said.
‘These provisions were drafted well before VAD was legalised anywhere in Australia and were not intended to capture a lawful medical service.’
Easing burden of long distance travel
Dr McMullen said treating VAD consultations the same way the law treats incitement to suicide is a mismatch creating real hardship for patients, particularly those outside major cities.
‘Patients in regional, rural and remote Australia — and those too unwell to travel — are being denied equitable access to a legally available choice, because of outdated laws that were never designed with voluntary assisted dying in mind.
‘The AMA’s position is that telehealth should operate for VAD as a valuable complement to in-person care, and not a replacement for clinically necessary physical attendances.’
Dr McMullen said telehealth allowed doctors to reach patients when an in-person visit isn’t feasible, necessary or appropriate — helping doctors treat patients in isolated communities and easing the burden of long-distance travel.
‘Voluntary assisted dying consultations could be undertaken via telehealth in accordance with appropriate regulations and protections, consistent with professional standards and good medical practice.’
The AMA is calling on the Attorney-General to urgently pursue amendments to the Criminal Code to carve out an exception for lawful VAD-related communications, so that Commonwealth law no longer negatively impacts lawful state and territory VAD schemes.
Read the AMA’s position statement on Voluntary Assisted Dying 2025 here.
