Page 9 - FSANZ AUTUMN -2023

Concern over VARTA counselling move
FSANZ has expressed grave concerns about the removal of qualified donor linking counselling services by the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA).
The Society believes the move by VARTA could have serious consequences for sperm and egg donors, along with donor recipients, children born from the practice and their wider family networks.
FSANZ and the Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors’ Association (ANZICA), a key advocator in patient centred care, have joined a global network of donor conception counselling bodies in urging VARTA to reverse its decision to cease qualified psychosocial support in its donor linking services.
VARTA recently announced that its therapeutic support services to people engaging with its donor conception registers would be replaced by legal counsellors to inform individuals of their rights, responsibilities and options under Victorian law.
FSANZ President, Professor Luk Rombauts, and ANZICA Chair, Rebecca Kerner, said they were deeply disappointed by the demise of donor linking psychosocial support services by VARTA.
“Together with professional donor conception counselling bodies in the United Kingdom and Europe, we are signatories to a letter to VARTA urging it to reconsider its decision to cease its specialist psychosocial support services,” Professor Rombauts explained.
“VARTA has been a pathfinder of progressive practice with the donor linking register in Victoria since groundbreaking legislation in that State granting retrospective access to personalised information about donors, donor conceived offspring, the parents of donor conceived people and their families.
“Specialist psychosocial counselling in this setting is not trivial and is a vital aspect in support of all parties involved in donor linking. To remove this service as the donor conception register in Victoria continues to swell is deeply disturbing.”
Rebecca Kerner said: “There is a growing body of research highlighting significant challenges faced by people involved in donor conception and, in many cases, they benefit from the support of people with tertiary qualifications in clinical counselling.
“This vital psychosocial support service by VARTA employees cannot be replaced by legal specialists.
“VARTA has also stated that it can refer people involved in the donor conception register to outside psychosocial counselling services.
“However, it is not yet clear how many sessions will be provided and to whom, and it is vital that donor conceived people, donors and their families are provided with referrals to specialist counsellors who have knowledge and understanding of donor linking.
“Sadly, these changes and the shared knowledge and experience from its original ‘one door in’ policy will be lost to the detriment of those in most need.”
No therapeutic counselling by VARTA employees
In its December 2022 Newsletter, VARTA referred readers to its website and the following statement.
“VARTA’s donor conception registers are rapidly growing and now hold the details of more than 34,000 people.
“As more people make applications to our registers, we want to provide timely, personalised information to people about their rights and responsibilities under Victorian law. This includes information about the implications of engaging with our registers, so people can make informed decisions that are right for them.
“This means that from 28 November, legal counsellors at VARTA will counsel people wanting to make applications to our registers and people who are the subject of an application to our registers.
“These discussions will include information about their legal rights, responsibilities and options, allowing each person to make an informed decision about whether they want to continue with the application process.
“For a small number of people, VARTA will also arrange and fund a limited number of therapeutic counselling sessions with a qualified external counsellor.
“This will be done for donor-conceived adults who are learning for the first time about their donor conception. In our experience, this can be a very challenging time.
“These changes have been made to ensure VARTA can provide sustainable, specialist services to people wanting to engage with our registers, including donors, donor conceived people, parents of donor conceived people, and their families.
“We also want to ensure the most vulnerable people VARTA engages with under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008 receive timely support for their unique needs.
“As a result of these changes, there will no longer be access to therapeutic counselling by VARTA employees.”
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