Sector welcomes Albanese Government while urging swift aged care action

A range of aged care stakeholder organisations and unions have congratulated new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) on Saturday night’s federal election victory, hoping the new Government will be swift and committed in addressing many of the most pressing of issues in the sector.

The country’s largest union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) said it and its membership of more than 310,000 nurses, midwives, care workers and students are confident the new Albanese Government will deliver much-needed reforms for health, aged care, better wages for low-paid workers, gender equality and action on climate change.

“We are delighted that we finally have a Federal Government that has a real plan to fix the systemic issues in health and aged care,” ANMF federal secretary, Annie Butler, said yesterday.

“Mr Albanese and his team, including Mark Butler and Clare O’Neil, have already listened to the ANMF and have committed to working with us to develop a health workforce which is ready and able to respond to Australia’s health needs.

“In aged care, the ALP has committed to funding legislating mandated staffing ratios in private aged care facilities, improving wages for the depleted workforce and making sure taxpayer-funds for providers are tied to direct care for residents.

“On behalf of our members across the country, the ANMF congratulates Mr Albanese and his team on winning government and we look forward to working with them in developing and delivering real solutions which can ensure fair and equitable outcomes in health and aged care for all Australians.”

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) wants addressing the crisis facing the nursing workforce to be at the top of the new Government’s post-election priority list.

“I congratulate the ALP on their election victory and look forward to working with new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Health Minister Mark Butler,” ACN CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward said.

“Throughout the election campaign, all sides of politics acknowledged the importance of investing in a sustainable nursing workforce to ensure all Australians receive expert nursing care for generations to come.

“The next few months provide a unique opportunity for those promises to be backed up with tangible action.”

Ward highlighted a multi-pronged approach is required to address workforce shortages and ensuring the new Government’s pledge to have registered nurses 24/7 in residential aged care facilities is met.

“As I said at the time, I welcome the ALP’s positive intent to support the health of our vulnerable elderly population by ensuring they have access to highly-trained nurses,” she said.

“However, action is required on multiple fronts to ensure Australia’s largest health profession continues to shape the health of all Australians for generations to come.

“The solutions ACN advocates for are based on the experience and expertise of our members and nurses we represent nationally.”

“They include improving access to transition pathways after graduation, visas for internationally trained nurses, greater health and wellbeing support, refresher courses for enrolled and registered nurses and ensuring nurses can access MBS item numbers.

“I re-iterate my calls for the incoming Government to hold a national summit to develop an action plan to ensure these solutions are implemented.”

Dementia Australia CEO, Maree McCabe said she is looking forward to working with the newly elected Albanese Government to ensure quality dementia care will be placed at the top of the agenda for the ongoing systemic aged care reforms in the 47th parliament.

“We welcome the Labor Party’s commitment to put more nurses in residential care and give aged care workers more time to care for residents,” McCabe said.

“And we acknowledge the party’s promise to formally support a pay rise for aged care workers.

“We look forward to working with the Government on all Labor policies relevant to people impacted by dementia through the health, aged care, disability and social services sectors.”

It has been 15 months since the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was handed down, which stated ‘dementia care should be core business for aged care services, and particularly residential aged care services .’

“Quality dementia care must be top of the agenda for every plan, framework, strategy and review of the aged care system reform process including residential and home and community care,” McCabe said.

“With the Government’s support we hope to see a commitment to quality dementia care from Boards, directors and governance committees across the aged care, disability and health care sectors.”

Catholic Health Australia (CHA) has also congratulated Albanese and the Labor Party on its win and is urging the new government to urgently prioritise addressing the workforce crisis in health and aged care.

A new CHA study released last week puts the number of vacancies in aged care alone at almost 60,000.

CHA is also urging an Albanese Government to embark on reforms to the health insurance sector including making it easier for patients to receive hospital treatment at home without losing out financially.

Its members also want to see a greater commitment by the Commonwealth to palliative care so that those nearing end of life have a genuine choice now that assisted dying laws are present in every state.

CHA is also restating its call for government assistance for aged care homes to help defray the extra costs of COVID infection prevention which are not reimbursed by the Commonwealth unless there is an outbreak.

“Our members congratulate Anthony Albanese on his election and thank the Coalition government and Scott Morrison for their public service,” CHA CEO Pat Garcia said.

“There is always a long list of pressing issues that confront any incoming government, but delivering quality compassionate care to our elderly must be right at the top.

“Our Fight for Better Aged campaign has helped put and keep aged care on the election map over recent weeks, and we are heartened by the new Government’s renewed focus on aged care.

“CHA stands ready to work with an Albanese Government to deliver on its pledge for more and better skilled and better paid aged care workers.”

The Australian Aged Care Collaboration wants the new prime minister to nominate reform of the COVID-ravaged sector as a priority for his first 100 days in office.

The peak collective said its concerns should also feature in any crossbench negotiations in coming days and weeks.

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) national president, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, welcomed Labor’s election victory.

“I congratulate, what looks to be an incoming Labor majority Government, on their success at the election,” he said.

“PSA has always enjoyed a strong and productive working relationship with the ALP’s health team and is delighted to see pharmacist Emma McBride retain the marginal seat of Dobell.

“We look forward to working with Mark Butler as the new Health Minister, to continue to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians.

“Now is the time to ensure that access to health care remains universal, particularly for the most vulnerable of our population.

“Consumers need subsidised access to care – regardless of the health setting or health professional they choose to seek care from.

Freeman is looking forward to hearing from the new Government regarding onsite aged care pharmacists.

“I am pleased that the Australian Labor Party has already acknowledged the central role that pharmacists play in medication management in residential aged care facilities, and their commitment to implement the 2022-23 Budget measure to improve medicine safety by funding onsite aged care pharmacists,” he said.

“It is absolutely critical that the incoming government ensure that this model is collaborative, and that implementation allows flexibility for aged care service providers to determine how to secure pharmacist services.

“This is the only way to guarantee the best outcomes for aged care residents.

“PSA looks forward to working with the incoming ALP Health team on implementation of this commitment, which will also provide exciting new career opportunities for Australian pharmacists.”

The PSA is also keen on the new Federal Governmane ensuring fair access to influenza vaccines.

“Consumers still face out of pocket expenses for the administration of the influenza vaccination under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) if delivered by their pharmacists, whilst this same service is subsidised if done at a general practice,” Freeman said.

“Given that pharmacies are one of our most accessible healthcare professionals, it is unacceptable for a consumer to be deprived of this subsidy when choosing to visit a pharmacist.

“The Australian Labor Party has committed to working with PSA and other stakeholders to address this inequity in healthcare access.”

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has also moved to enlist Labor’s support for the role community chemists have played in the pandemic response.

Acting national president Nick Panayiaris said pharmacists can contribute more to Australia’s vaccination rollout and alleviate pressure on the health system.

“We need to see pharmacists working to their full scope of practice,” he said.

“At present they are under-utilised and by allowing them to provide the full range of services they are trained for will help ease pressure on doctors, hospitals and emergency departments while keeping communities healthier.”

The early round of lobbying comes amid more than 38,000 new infections recorded across Australia on Sunday along with 20 virus-related deaths.

Almost 2800 patients are under hospital care around the country, with more than one hundred in intensive care.

Of nearly 380,000 active coronavirus cases Australia-wide, almost 80 per cent are in NSW (133,000), Western Australia (91,000) and Victoria (75,000).

Aged care and disability services marketplace Mable’s CEO Peter Scutt said he looks forward to working collaboratively to revolutionise the care and support sectors founded on recognising a human rights-focused approach to service delivery and consumer choice and control.

“Mable supports Mr Albanese’s desire to bring people together, to collaborate and find common ground, and his focus on fairness and opportunity in building a better future for all Australians,” Scutt said.

“Nowhere is this approach more needed than in aged care and disability support, where there is an opportunity to ‘reimagine’ home care and disability support services by putting people at the centre, including critically the people who play an essential role every day providing care and support to others in communities around Australia.

Scutt said the Disability Royal Commission and the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety have given the nation a once in a lifetime opportunity to reimagine care and support 500,000 NDIS participants and for everyone who lives to see their senior years.

“Now is the time to recast the model of aged care at home grounded in recognising the capacity of older people to make decisions about their lives and support needs,” he said.

“The current centralised, highly regulated, and provider-led aged home care solution has, in many cases, not only failed to keep people safe but failed to deliver the quality of life we would imagine for ourselves as we age.

“It’s also failed to deliver high-quality outcomes for care and support workers.”