Fly-in doctors to visit VAD patients as telehealth ban drags on
The Queensland Government says flying doctors to patients is a stopgap measure until laws banning telehealth VAD consults are changed
Authorised voluntary assisted dying doctors will fly to regional and rural towns across Queensland to assist patients wanting to access the scheme, the state government has announced.
The scheme has been introduced amid ongoing frustration over the Federal Government’s failure to amend laws to allow doctors to counsel dying patients via telehealth.
Training has already been approved for 135 doctors and nurses in Queensland, and the state government is flying voluntary assisted dying (VAD) doctors to centres with patients wishing to access the scheme.
“This is needed until we get the changes to federal legislation that allow us to support people through telehealth as well,” Queensland Minister for Health Yvette D’Ath told The Australian.
