Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Hansard source

I table an implementation progress report concerning the special report of the royal commission on aged care and COVID-19. I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

I am pleased to inform the Senate today that this government is delivering on all the recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in its special COVID-19 report. In Australia 693 people living in aged-care facilities or getting services at home have sadly died. Each loss of life represents someone's mum, dad, grandparent or cherished friend. I offer my condolences to all of those who have been impacted by COVID-19.

Today the government has tabled an implementation progress report in keeping with the royal commission's first recommendation. This implementation report shows every step is being taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of senior Australians. The Australian government has already delivered four of the six recommendations and progress is well under way on the final two. As previously stated, the lead geriatrician of the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre and a member of the AHPPC aged care clinical advisory committee, Associate Professor Michael Murray, said, 'Australia was as well prepared for a significant aged-care outbreak as any country or jurisdiction in the world, with the probable exception of Hong Kong.' Professor Murray, who is also head of geriatric medicine at Austin Health and an Adjunct Associate Professor at La Trobe University's Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care said, 'Despite being as good or indeed the second best, it was not possible to prevent incursion into the aged-care sector or any other vulnerable community during a mass community outbreak.' Prevention of mass community transmission remains the first and best defence for any community and that was the first line of defence under the Australian government's plan. Importantly, it is worth noting that 97 per cent of residential aged-care facilities in Australia have had no residents with COVID-19 cases.

We have increased our initial investment in the COVID-19 supplement from $205.3 million to a total of $422.9 million, directly responding to recommendation 2, to support aged-care providers with COVID-19 related costs. This means that aged-care facilities can have adequate staff to keep their doors open to family and friends, ensuring that residents don't become isolated. At the same time, revised visitation guidelines, endorsed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, outline how residents can be protected in the least restrictive manner, balancing their health needs with their personal wellbeing. I should also mention the visitation code of conduct, which was developed and led by consumer peaks and the industry. In addition, senior Australians are taking advantage of increased services for advocacy, grief and trauma support. This $19 million investment has produced significant resources, including a dedicated COVID-19 support line for older Australians.

The royal commission's special report outlined barriers for aged-care residents in receiving the allied health and mental health care they need. In response to recommendation 3 we're investing an additional $63.3 million to extend allied and mental health services for aged-care residents. From 10 December, extending these services will mean that aged-care residents can now receive up to 20 Medicare subsidised individual psychological therapy sessions with the practitioner of their choice, in line with the services available to everyone else in the broader community. We're also removing barriers and increasing access to essential allied health services for aged-care residents. This means that residents with a chronic disease management plan will have access to extra Medicare subsidised physiotherapists, occupational therapists and exercise physiologist sessions.

In recognition of the effect COVID-19 outbreaks have had on many residents in aged-care facilities, we are going beyond the recommendations of the royal commission to support group therapy sessions in affected residential aged-care facilities. This is to rebuild muscle strength and to reduce the risk of falls following periods of lockdown and inactivity.

In line with recommendation 4, we have updated the National COVID-19 Aged Care Plan. It is critical to ensure a national approach is taken to protect vulnerable senior Australians. The Australian government has continuously built and adapted the plan since January 2020. As part of that, we have worked side by side with state and territory governments to implement additional infection prevention and control training, and to establish joint approaches to the management of outbreaks. And we stand ready to activate emergency response arrangements when required.

Also as recommended, the Aged Care Advisory Group of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, or AHPPC, which is composed of national experts in aged care, geriatric health, infection control and emergency response, has been made permanent. This committee will continue to inform how to address outbreaks and to update advice for providers.

As endorsed by recommendation 5, a robust, well-trained infection prevention control expert workforce is being implemented. This is a $217.6 million investment into residential aged-care providers to employ an infection prevention control lead. And recommendation 6 advocates for the Australian, state and territory governments and infection prevention control experts to work collaboratively. We are continuing to strengthen our preparedness to respond to a rapid escalation of COVID-19 in the aged-care sector, learning from ongoing outbreaks, sharing knowledge and insights and prioritising training and assessments with aged-care providers. To meet this recommendation the Australian government is doubling its contribution under the National Partnership on COVID-19 Response. That means that the Commonwealth government will fund up to 100 per cent of activities undertaken by the states and territories to support aged-care services through infection prevention and control training, preparedness and response.

In total, the Australian government has invested more than $1.7 billion in the aged-care sector since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically to deal with COVID-19. While we hope there isn't another COVID outbreak in aged-care facilities, or in home care, we are dedicated to putting everything in place quickly to ensure our senior Australians are protected throughout the pandemic and the COVID recovery phase. This was evident in the rapid and effective response to the recent cluster event in South Australia. We know, and we've seen it so many times, that where there is community transmission there is a risk to aged-care residents in local facilities. The loss of lives in Australia has underlined our fierce determination to ensure that every effort is made to ensure that it doesn't happen again. I'm delighted to report that there have been no active cases of COVID-19 in aged-care recipients in Australia since 28 October. One South Australian residential aged-care facility does have four staff with COVID-19, and they are appropriately in isolation and being cared for. The facility is being monitored closely, with a regular testing regime.

The successful shift in the tide for Australia comes as the battle against this virus continues around the globe. That is why we must not become complacent. The Australian government is leading a systematic change in the nation's aged-care sector to deliver an aged-care system that meets senior Australians' needs and expectations. We are committed to building on the work underway and to elevating the key focus of improving the health, safety and wellbeing of aged-care residents, home-care recipients and their families. We will continue to work with our state and territory colleagues, aged-care providers, peak bodies and industry partners to transform aged care and provide Australians with choice and control over the care and services they need as they age.

We look forward to receiving the royal commission's final report in February and we will carefully consider all its recommendations, just as we have carefully considered and responded rapidly to the commission's special report on COVID-19. The report tabled today shows holistic, coordinated and considered actions to tackle a critical threat to the health and wellbeing of our senior Australians. I thank the Senate.