Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) currently the Australian Government has no quality outcome reporting for home care and reports on only three indicators for residential aged care,

  (ii) research conducted for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety shows that the Government could immediately establish independent, transparent, routine monitoring and public reporting of many aspects of aged care quality outcomes,

  (iii) the research, by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), shows a range of quality outcome indicators can be produced from existing data without any burden to providers, and

  (iv) the reporting would include indicators for medication-related quality of care, falls and fractures, hospital re-admissions, hospitalisation for dementia/delirium, pain, premature mortality, pressure injury, utilisation of care plans and medication reviews, and weight loss/malnutrition;

(b) acknowledges the opinion of the Royal Commissioners, Tony Pagone and Lynelle Briggs, that independent measurement and public reporting is essential for the good operation of the aged care system; and

(c) calls on the Government to immediately move to implement routine monitoring and public reporting of aged care quality indicators at the service provider level, as outlined in the SAHMRI report, to enhance transparency and accountability.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program, the QI program, became compulsory from 1 July 2019. The program is being developed as part of the government's response to the Carnell Paterson review. The QI program requires that all Commonwealth subsidised residential aged-care services report on quality indicators across three critical clinical areas: pressure injuries, use of physical restraint and unplanned weight loss. Further expansion of the QI program to include crucial falls and fractures and medication management measures from 1 July 2021 is on track. In addition, from 1 July 2020, more transparent information for consumers was also introduced through publicly reported provider performance and compliance ratings against the new quality standards.

Question agreed to.