AMA submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee inquiry into the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Bill 2018 and related Bill
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) will be established on the 1 January 2019. It will replace the regulatory functions of the Aged Care Quality Agency and the Aged Care Complaints Commission. The Commission aims to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ concerning quality of aged care services and regulation for aged care providers and consumers.
The AMA supports the introduction of the Commission. Future functions of the Commission should include improving collaboration between all levels of the health and aged care systems and determine the levels of investment in the aged care industry required to ensure safe, high quality, care for older people.
The functions of a Chief Clinical Advisor and the expert clinical panel must be included in the appropriate document, preferably one that is subject to public and parliamentary scrutiny, but one that allows greater consideration of clinical issues going forward, rather than limiting it. It should include education around quality and clinical governance for aged care providers and advise on clinical regulatory issues. A Chief Clinical Advisor must be a registered medical practitioner (either a general practitioner or geriatrician) with expertise in aged care.
