Townsville Bishop Tim Harris has written to the Federal Government urging it not to repeal laws that currently prevent doctors using telehealth to discuss assisted dying.
Bishop Harris says changing the law could undermine euthanasia safeguards and increase the risk for vulnerable people.
Each of Australia’s six states have passed laws allowing voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill, but those living in regional and remote parts of the country will not have equal access unless the commonwealth amends legislation that prohibits “inciting or counselling” suicide over the phone or internet.
“People in regional and remote areas considering euthanasia deserve access to high quality medical services, not an online or telephone substitute because governments are not willing to properly fund health care,” Bishop Harris wrote in a letter to Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus.
“There is no case for euthanasia advice by telephone for people in rural and remote areas when governments refuse to provide adequate palliative care services to people outside a capital city.
“Suicide and euthanasia are non-therapeutic treatments that demand the highest standards of medical attention because they are lethal and therefore non-reversible.”
The Australian newspaper revealed in July that Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was investigating changes to the Criminal Code after senior members of the Queensland government raised concerns about doctors being fined $222,000 for discussing euthanasia via telehealth.
However Bishop Harris has raised the alarm against such remote phone or internet hookups, especially “when depression is one of the major factors driving the suicide rate and interest in euthanasia”.
“It is very difficult for a doctor to be able to determine over the phone that a patient may require palliative treatment or treatment for their mental health, instead of being encouraged to pursue euthanasia or assisted suicide,” he wrote.
“You may be aware that one of the reasons the government implemented sensible restrictions on the use of a carriage service to counsel and incite suicide was to protect vulnerable members of the public from individuals, organisations or groups who were using the Internet or telephones to promote suicide.”
Bishop Harris concluded: “I ask that you not change the law, which would undermine euthanasia safeguards and increase the risk that vulnerable people are the victims of those counselling or inciting suicide.
