The Checkup Barry.Nilsson. Lawyers

Content warning: this episode of The Checkup discusses highly sensitive topics, including vicarious trauma and psychological harm. If you find this episode triggering, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
As legal professionals, we might find ourselves navigating emotionally challenging subject matters, graphic material or cases that involve emotionally charged parties. This can, in some instances, lead professionals to encounter 'vicarious trauma,' a phenomenon often experienced in high-stress industries such as law or healthcare at various stages of one's career.
In this episode of The Checkup, BN’s Natalie Laidlaw and Ashlee Sherman talk to Sally Ryan and Carly Schrever; psychologists and the directors of Human Ethos, about the complexities of vicarious trauma, empathy-based stress, burnout and compassion fatigue in the workplace. Together, they explore how we can recognise the symptoms of stress, both in ourselves and our colleagues, as well as some strategies to effectively manage and prevent vicarious trauma.
In their discussion, they consider the following questions:
What is vicarious trauma?
What are some of the risk factors that make people more likely than others to experience vicarious trauma?
What are some signs to look out for in colleagues who are experiencing vicarious trauma?
What is empathy-based stress?
How can compassion fatigue arise?
What is the best approach to dealing with the symptoms of burnout?
How can we assist our colleagues who may be struggling?
This episode of The Checkup was recorded by Pughouse Studios and edited by Audio Advantage.

In this episode of The Checkup, Demi Peters, an Associate in BN’s national health law team, discusses the new voluntary assisted dying laws in Australia with BN Principal and health law expert, Samantha Pillay, and guest Ruthie Jeanneret, a PhD student at Queensland University of Technology.

Content warning: this episode of The Checkup discusses highly sensitive topics involving children so listener discretion is advised. 
Who makes the decision when it comes to withdrawing a patient's life support? The recent UK case of Archie Battersbee has brought to light the challenging issues courts consider when intervening in cases relating to withdrawal of life support.
When these tragic and highly emotional matters arise, they involve the patients, families, hospitals, and clinicians. So with many parties involved and many factors to consider, how do the courts make their determination? 
In this episode of The Checkup, BN health law experts, Samantha Pillay and Lisa Fairley, examine the tragic story of Archie Battersbee and the laws around withdrawing life support. They discuss similar cases in the UK and Australia, what the courts take into account when making these types of decisions, and the exceptional case in Queensland for adult patients without capacity.
In their discussion, Sam and Lisa consider the following questions: 
When will the courts intervene?
What is futile and non-beneficial treatment and how much weight do courts give to this medical determination?
How is a patient's best interests determined?
What rights do patients and family members have when they disagree with doctors?
Relevant links:
ABC Law Report - Life, death and the law
BN Case Alert - Archie Battersbee
The Guardian article - Archie Battersbee: how third parties can further complicate tragic life support cases
Further details about Archie Battersbee's decisions
The Hospital v S (a minor) [2019] NSWSC 642
The case of Charlie Gard
The case of Tafida Raqeeb
"Mohammed's case"
This episode of The Checkup was edited by Audio Advantage.

Content warning: this episode of The Checkup discusses highly sensitive topics, including death and suicide. If you find this episode triggering, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
In Australia, criminal law prohibits active voluntary euthanasia, however Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation has been introduced and/or passed in various states, making it accessible for persons who meet a certain criteria. The intersection of criminal law and new end-of-life legislation raises a few questions:
What will we see change across the healthcare industry?
Will patients and their treatment options be impacted?
How will it impact the lives of our loved ones?
In this episode of The Checkup, BN’s Milyka McCutcheon unpacks these questions alongside Dr Katrine Del Villar, a health law researcher at Queensland University of Technology. Together, they also discuss a 2018 criminal prosecution involving the assisted death of a terminally ill woman, and how the application of today’s end-of-life legislation might have resulted in a different outcome.
 
This episode of The Checkup was editing by Audio Advantage.

Understandably, the thought of being contacted by the Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC) following a complaint can be stressful for practitioners and health service providers. However, in many cases, this is usually a result of a lack of understanding of the HCC's processes. In this episode of The Checkup, BN's Scott Shelly is joined by Felicity Lathrop, Resolutions Manager for the Health Complaints Commissioner in Victoria, to uncover the role of the HCC in the complaints resolution process, and hopefully relieve some of the anxiety practitioners and health service providers often feel when dealing with the HCC. Felicity walks us through a day in her life as Resolutions Manager, some of the recurring issues she sees amongst complaints, as well as some tips for health service providers to avoid receiving complaints and for advisers to better manage complaints.
This episode of The Checkup was recorded by Rolln Media and edited by Audio Advantage.

Most people will be familiar with the very public rise and fall of Britney Spears - from pop princess to a young mother tormented by the paparazzi, and the toll this inevitably took on her mental health which played out publicly for the world to see. However, in recent years, Britney has hit headlines for unexpected reasons. It's come to light that she has been the subject of a conservatorship since 2008, with her father appointed as her conservator and therefore responsible for making all personal and financial decisions on Britney's behalf. 13 years later, and after numerous court hearings, on 13 August 2021, Britney's father agreed to step down as conservator.
So, why was it so hard for Britney to have a say in who controlled her own personal and financial decisions? Why was the independence to make decisions taken away in the first place? And why has this lasted 13 years? Her situation raises the question - could this (or does this) happen in Australia?
In this episode of The Checkup, BN's Sam Pillay, Milyka McCutcheon and Lisa Fairley explore Britney's 13 year (and counting) legal battle, and unpack how Britney's situation would apply if she lived in Australia.