In September 2018, the federal government announced a Royal Commission into the aged care sector. The announcement came ahead of a damning two-part Four Corners investigation into elder neglect and poor conditions in aged care, as well as years of campaigning by the ANMF to fix systemic issues preventing nursing and care staff from delivering safe best practice care.
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will focus on residential aged care, home care and dementia care, as well as the care provided to young people with disabilities who live in residential aged care facilities. The issues the Royal Commission has been instructed to investigate are broad, and include the quality of aged care services, how best to deliver these services (including workforce investment) and systems to ensure high quality care is delivered. Visit https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/Pages/Terms-of-reference.aspx to read the full terms of reference.
ANMF Royal Commission Updates
- Update #1 - December 2018
- Update #2 - January 2019
- Update #3 - February 2019
- Update #4 - March 2019
- Update #5 - May 2019
- Update #6 - June/July 2019
- Update #7 - October 2019
- Update #8 - February 2020
ANMF Submissions to the Royal Commission
- Aged care in the home - March 2019
- Residential dementia care - May 2019
- Person-centred care, advanced care planning and palliative care services - June 2019
- Aspects of care in residential, home, and flexible aged care programs, rural and regional issues for service of delivery of aged care, and quality of life for people receiving aged care - July 2019
- Regulation of quality and safety in aged care and how aspects of the current system operate, different approaches to regulation (including in other sectors) and how regulation and oversight of quality and safety in aged care can be improved - August 2019
- Younger people in residential aged care - September 2019
- Diversity in aged care - October 2019
- Aged Care Workforce - October 2019
- Aged Care in Regional and Remote Areas - November 2019
- Interfaces between the aged care and the health care system - December 2019
- Consultation Paper 1: Aged Care Program Redesign: Services for the Future - January 2020
- Counsel Assisting's Submissions on Workforce - March 2020
Royal Commission hearings in 2020
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will hold a series of hearings during the first half of 2020. The Royal Commission will also be holding hearings in the form of workshops.
Public Hearings 2019
At the public hearing held in Adelaide from Monday 11 February to Wednesday 13 February 2019, ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler was among those giving evidence at the hearing on 13 February, explaining how the systemic sub-standard and inadequate care provided to vulnerable nursing home residents can be addressed by the implementation of mandated staffing ratios and skills mix. This will fix the crisis in aged care.
- Read Media Release
- Read Ms Butler's Full Statement
- Transcript of Wednesday 13 February Hearing
- Article: Aged Care Royal Commission hears of future challenges
Community Forums
Forums are taking place in a number of locations around the country. The forums are an opportunity for members of the public to hear about the work of the Commission and to offer their ideas on the challenges and strengths of aged care, and the opportunities for improvement. We will share the dates and location of forums as they are announced.
Previous forums:
Newcastle Community Forum – Wednesday 27 November 2019
Canberra Community Forum - Monday 25 November 2019
Launceston Community Forum – Thursday 3 October 2019
Rockhampton Community Forum - Tuesday 20 August 2019
Brisbane Community Forum - Monday 19 August 2019
Adelaide Community Form - Monday 12 August 2019
Townsville Community Forum – Thursday 18 July 2019
Broome Community Forum - Wednesday 19 June 2019
West Melbourne Community Forum – Friday 3 May 2019
Wollongong Community Forum – Wednesday 13 March 2019
Bendigo Community Forum – Tuesday 5 March 2019
Bankstown Community Forum – Friday 1 March 2019
Submissions to the Royal Commission
The Royal Commission is encouraging people to make a submission using the online form that has been made available on the Commission’s website but they will also accept submissions by phone, letter or email. Submissions can also be made anonymously or confidentially. All relevant information is available on the Royal Commission website: https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/submissions/Pages/default.aspx
The ANMF is currently preparing its submission to the Royal Commission. The submission will draw on the extensive material already gathered by the ANMF over many years of campaigning and responding to inquiries into aged care. Key to the submission will be presenting the evidence in support of minimum staffing ratios and appropriate skill mixes in aged care.
- ANMF Fact Sheet: Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
- ANMJ Article: Staff ratios emerge as key issue as Royal Commission into Aged Care begins