Posted by “Can you please inform Dr Andrew Miller, President of AMA, that with CURRENT WA RUILING WE CANNOT OFFER ANY TREATMENT BEYOND SUPPORTIVE CARE TO UNCONCIOUS COVID PATIENTS.
Until recent the 1990 Western Australian Guardianship and Amendment Act (GAA) allowed NOK consent for research. New interpretation thinks the GAA does not allow NOK consent for research. A new amendment to the GAA has been drafted that allows NOK consent but needs to be ratified by parliament.
GOVERNMENT HAS TO BE URGED TO PASS AMENDMENT TO GAA ASAP.
It is of great importance to find a disease modifying treatment in the combat against this pandemic. THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENTS (antiviral therapy and immune suppressive therapy). Governing bodies recommend that such treatment should only be offered in well designed RCT (WHO, ANZICS).
REMAP CAP is an Australia wide platform RCT in patients with pneumonia run by Prof Steve Webb. REMAP CAP offers also now includes different COVID treatment arms (different antivirals and different immune modulators).
DON’T LET WA PATIENTS MISS OUT IN GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE POTENTIAL TREATMENT.Kind regards
Adrian
Adrian Regli
MD, FCICM, EDIC, Anaesthesia FMH, Intensive Care FMH
Intensive Care Physician
Fiona Stanley Hospital, SJGHC Murdoch
A/Prof, University of Western Australia, The Notre Dame University, Fremantle”
Thankyou for raising this issue. Is there any way we as prospective patients can allocate an authority to a NOK to consent for us, or for us to consent in advance to a trial while we are still awake and alert?
Not at this time sorry. The Act needs to be amended.