A group of doctors have made a last-ditch attempt to persuade politicians to amend the NSW Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 so aged care facilities will not be forced to allow the delivery of the procedure on their premises. 

The group called Health Professionals Say No, representing almost 900 “independent, secular” healthcare workers, including hundreds of doctors, has taken out a full-page advertisement in The Sydney Morning Herald, calling for amendments to the Bill. 

One of the members, Melbourne oncologist Associate Professor Marion Harris, says key changes are needed to bring proposed NSW legislation into line with Victorian laws. 

Professor Harris says the group is urging the Upper House members to respect the rights of staff and residents of aged care facilities who do not want to facilitate voluntary assisted dying (VAD).