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.
Aged Care Royal Commission COVID-19 report
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has delivered a special report on the COVID-19 pandemic in aged care, tabled in the Australian Parliament on 1 October 2020, ahead of its Final Report. The report is the result of a hearing of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety into the impact of COVID-19 on aged care, which was held in Sydney from 10 to 13 August 2020.
Royal Commission Hearings - 2020
At hearings and workshops the Royal Commission will hear from people identified by Counsel Assisting to appear as a witness and give evidence. The Royal Commission will publish details of hearings and workshops to assist parties, witnesses and members of the public and we will share these details here when available.
ANMF Royal Commission Updates
- Update #9 - August 2020
- Update #8 - February 2020
- Update #7 - October 2019
- Update #6 - June/July 2019
- Update #5 - May 2019
- Update #4 - March 2019
- Update #3 - February 2019
- Update #2 - January 2019
- Update #1 - December 2018
ANMF Submissions
The ANMF's Submissions to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety can be viewed here.
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.
Community Forums
Forums took place in a number of locations around the country. The forums were 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.
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 into Aged Care Quality and Safety invited interested members of the public and institutions to make submissions to the Royal Commission, commencing 9 January 2019 and closing 31 July 2020.
The timeframe for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has been extended. The Royal Commission’s final report is now due on 26 February 2021.
- 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