New laws to allow doctors to trial new and emerging treatments for COVID-19

New laws to ensure all Western Australians have the opportunity to participate in world-leading research and experimental treatments targeted at combating COVID-19 will be introduced into State Parliament today.

Currently, WA legislation enables an enduring guardian, a guardian or a person responsible to make a decision regarding medical treatment, but this does not extend to participation in medical research.
This effectively denies critically ill, or otherwise incapacitated COVID-19 patients, access to cutting edge treatments which are on trial throughout the world.

The Bill will enable all Western Australians to access the drugs and treatments that are being tested in other countries to give them the best possible chance of recovery.

View the State Government media announcement (external site) for more details.