Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President; I appreciate it. My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Minister Gallagher. Minister, last year this parliament passed the Aged Care Amendment (Implementing Care Reform) Act 2022. This act primarily responds to recommendations made by the royal commission into aged care on nursing. This act will be fully in effect from 1 July 2023. This week, it was reported in the Examiner, back in Tassie, that there was an aged-care resident in Tasmania who spent the whole night bleeding. The rostered nurse took unplanned leave and the only nurse available was, on call, about two hours away. Will the legislation we passed last year ensure tragedies like this won't happen again?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Tyrrell for the question and for her focus on health and aged care in her state of Tasmania.

I haven't seen that news report, Senator Tyrrell, but I think those stories have been far too common in aged care, which is why we took the policy to the election that we did, around implementing nurses 24/7 into aged-care facilities and increasing the care minutes. Responding to some of the health challenges in aged care has been very difficult for providers where nursers have not been available, and I know that the Minister for Aged Care—in fact, I met with her yesterday on aged-care matters—has been absolutely focused on making sure that nursing 24/7 is implemented. We're looking at workforce shortages, where they are and how we deal with those, and working with providers. The aim is that people who live in residential aged care have access 24/7 to nursing care, which is something that they haven't had, particularly in small and regional areas.

I spent some time working in aged care and visited a number of aged-care facilities, and those aged-care staff do an incredible job caring for people often with very complex health conditions. Sometimes residential aged-care facilities are actually more like a subacute hospital than your traditional thinking of what an aged-care facility would be because of the complexity of the residents who are living there.

My answer to you, Senator Tyrrell, is: that is the aim of the policy—to make sure that residents' health needs are addressed and that we have access to that professional service 24/7. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Tyrrell, first supplementary?

Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear that and I appreciate that, but the facility that's in question has been assessed by the Commonwealth and has met the Aged Care Quality Standards. How can the standards be up to scratch when they allow people to lie in bed for hours bleeding from wounds that nobody treats? This person was actually sent to hospital the next morning when people came on shift. The situation was it wasn't just a little scratch. We just want things to be right, and we hear that it's a problem. We're here; we're the grown-ups in the room, which I've heard.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or GALLAGHER (—) (): I thank Senator Tyrrell for the question, and I agree: it wasn't a scratch. And this has been part of the issue, particularly overnight, even on weekends, with residents of aged care deteriorating to the point that they end up acutely unwell when they are transferred to hospital or if they are able to be transferred there before they decline. That is the aim of the 24/7 nursing requirement. I know the Minister for Aged Care has been working, indeed, even with the minister for immigration on how we deal with some of the significant workforce challenges that are present. Part of it is dealing with some of the legacy issues we've inherited, including fixing some of the other workforce shortages, which we'll be doing through the aged-care wages increase. Any suggestion that the 24/7 registered nurse requirement won't be enforced is false; it will be enforced, and providers are aware of that in their discussions with the Minister for Aged Care. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Tyrell, second supplementary?

Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tasmanian papers and papers around the country are full of horrible cases of neglect. People are coming to our offices, in particular—that's who I'm speaking for. The Jacqui Lambie Network has been calling for an urgent audit into all aged-care homes in Tasmania. Can you help facilitate that?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Tyrrell for the question. I'll certainly relay that to the Minister for Aged Care. As you know, we have other measures underway to improve the quality of aged care, including the new star ratings for residential aged care to provide older people and their families with transparency on quality. We've got the extension of the Serious Incident Response Scheme to home care, and a new code of conduct for approved providers, aged-care workers and governing persons from 1 December. I'm not saying this is easy and will fix some of the quality issues overnight; it won't. But these are important reforms that send the very strong message that Australians expect quality aged care to be provided to elderly Australians, that the government has a role in supporting that. We will be doing that with our investments in the aged-care workforce and our investments in 24/7 nursing care. And we'll work with providers to continue to improve it.