Patient Review Panel telehealth is OK for Victorian surrogacy counselling
The Victorian Patient Review Panel (which gives approval for Victorian surrogacy arrangements) has written to infertility counsellors in Victoria saying that they can undertake surrogacy counselling via telehealth. HOORAY!
Previously the PRP has always been insistent that this counselling occur face to face.
I am glad that this commonsense approach has been adopted in light of Government guidelines about COVID-19 and the strong statements from the Federal Government for doctors and allied health (including psychologists) to use telehealth where possible.
The publicly stated position of the Patient Review Panel is:
I hope that the Panel will now also use video or phone conferencing, such as Zoom, to be consistent with Government health requirements – instead of its insistence in the past of in person hearings.