Australian College of Nursing seeks telehealth reform for VAD

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has called on the federal government to amend the Criminal Code Act 1995 to allow healthcare practitioners to discuss voluntary assisted dying (VAD) via telehealth.

ACN CEO Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz described the current legal restriction as an “inadvertent drafting artefact.” The provisions, originally introduced in 2005 to prevent the online promotion of suicide, were enacted before any Australian jurisdiction had established VAD laws. Following a 2023 Federal Court decision, practitioners now face potential criminal prosecution and fines exceeding $360,000 for using carriage services, such as phone or email, to discuss VAD care.

The ACN argues this creates significant barriers for patients in regional and remote areas who rely on telehealth for specialist care. The organization maintains that removing these barriers would not compromise existing state and territory safeguards, which require multiple assessments and witnessed declarations.