Dr. Laura Chapman:

I just want to outline two differences between the New Zealand and the Australian processes. The first is to say that I think the New Zealand legislation focused very heavily, and rightly so, on a safe service, but it did not build in enough about delivering a quality service to patients.

The other key difference is that all of the medication in New Zealand is administered and carried by the doctor. The doctor is solely responsible and it would never be left in the patient's home. It is up to the doctor and the patient together to decide if oral or intravenous administration is better. More than 90% of our patients choose intravenous administration. The doctor takes the medicine to the house and administers the medicine to the patient. If the patient is swallowing it, the doctor waits until they have finished the medicine and waits in the house until they have passed, to support the patient and their family