This Newsletter covers Federal and State policy and legislative developments in the area of health. Copies of documents referred to can be obtained by clicking on the reference in this Newsletter or through Capital Monitor's collection at www.capitalmonitor.com.au or from the source quoted.
Major Announcements
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
22 July
More community pharmacies and additional GPs to deliver COVID-19 vaccines
Thousands of community pharmacies and additional GPs across Australia will be invited to join the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. This additional workforce will be brought on board to support pharmacies and GPs already delivering COVID-19 vaccines in cities, regional, rural and remote areas, as well as areas with a COVID-19 outbreak. To date, 118 community pharmacies are currently vaccinating across the country and over 470 community pharmacies will be vaccinating by the end of July 2021, said Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt.
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Pharmacists administer 1M flu vaccines
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) strengthens calls on governments to expand the activation of pharmacists in vaccinating against COVID-19, following their clear success in administering influenza vaccines. As of Sunday, 18 July, pharmacists have administered over one million influenza vaccines to Australians, according to data from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). PSA National President, A/Prof Chris Freeman, commends pharmacists who continue to play a crucial role in protecting the community, helping Australians consistently achieve high influenza vaccination rates.
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More pharmacists to join the COVID-19 vaccine rollout nationwide
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) welcomes the announcement from the Prime Minister that all approved community pharmacists will finally be permitted to vaccinate against COVID-19. Prime Minister Morrison announced that all approved community pharmacies will be able to request AstraZeneca vaccinations from Monday 26th July. PSA National President, A/Prof Chris Freeman, said pharmacists around the country will welcome this news.
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NSW: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) statistics
NSW Health said that of these locally acquired cases, 67 are linked to a known case or cluster - 45 are household contacts and 22 are close contacts - and the source of infection for 57 cases is under investigation. Thirty-seven cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 22 cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Forty-eight cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 17 cases remains under investigation. No new overseas-acquired cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm. Four cases reported previously, but since found to be false positives, have been excluded, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 7,164.
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WA: COVID vaccine program expands as Western Australians 'Roll Up'
WA's vaccination program is expanding its capacity to allow more eligible Western Australians to roll up their sleeves and receive a COVID-19 vaccination. In line with the increased supply WA will be receiving from the Commonwealth, new clinics will be established, more capacity is being built into current State-run community clinics and, as a result, 10,000 more bookings a week will be added on Roll Up For WA website. A new clinic will be set up in the eastern suburbs at Centrepoint Midland shopping centre, starting September 6, which replaces the Redcliffe clinic, said WA Minister for Health Roger Cook.
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21 July
NSW: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) statistics
NSW Health recorded 110 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm. Of these locally acquired cases, 54 are linked to a known case or cluster - 40 are household contacts and 14 are close contacts - and the source of infection for 56 cases is under investigation. Thirty-seven cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 17 cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Forty-three cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 13 cases remains under investigation.
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NSW: Public health alert
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new venues of concern associated with confirmed cases of COVID-19. Anyone who attended the following venue on the times listed is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result, and call 1800 943 553 unless they have already been contacted by NSW Health.
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NSW: Stay-at-home order for Orange, Blayney and Cabonne
The Department of Health said that to protect the people of NSW from the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, new restrictions will be introduced for the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council areas from 12.01am Wednesday July 21 until 12.01am Wednesday July 28. Following updated health advice from the Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant about the growing risk to the community, stay-at-home orders will apply to all people who live in the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council areas, or have been there on or after Saturday July 17.
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NT: COVID-19 update: hotspots declared across Central West NSW
The Northern Territory Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet said that the Chief Health Officer has declared hotspots across parts of the NSW Central West region for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory effective from 5pm on Wednesday 21 July 2021. Hotspot locations include:
- Orange City Council
- Blayney Shire Council
- Cabonne Shire Council
Anyone travelling to the Northern Territory, who has been to the hotspot locations in the NSW Central Coast region after 5pm on 21 July 2021 and arrives in the Northern Territory will be required to undertake 14 days of mandatory supervised quarantine at the Alice Springs or Howard Springs quarantine facilities.
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NT: Metropolitan Adelaide declared a hotspot
The Northern Territory Chief Health Officer declared all of Metropolitan Adelaide in South Australia as a hotspot for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory effective from 12.01am on Wednesday 21 July 2021. Anyone travelling to the Northern Territory, who has been in Metropolitan Adelaide in South Australia after 12.01am on 21 July 2021 and arrives in the Northern Territory will be required to undertake 14 days of mandatory supervised quarantine at the Alice Springs or Howard Springs quarantine facilities. Anyone who has left Metropolitan Adelaide before 12.01am on 21 July 2021 is able to enter into the Northern Territory without having to undertake quarantine. This hotspot declaration does not extend back the usual 14 days.
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QLD: Queensland COVID-19 update
Queensland Health said that the following an increase of COVID-19 cases in New South Wales and further local restrictions announced by the state government, Queensland is declaring three Local Government Areas a hotspot from 1am Thursday, 22 July. From 1am Thursday, anyone who has been to the LGAs of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne will not be allowed to enter Queensland unless they are a returning Queensland resident, except for a limited range of people who can enter for an essential purpose. Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said Queensland was acting cautiously to protect the community from the increased risk of COVID-19. 'The risk in New South Wales is continuing to escalate with more locally acquired cases detected throughout the state,' Dr Young said.
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TAS: South Australia declared high-risk from 4pm
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said that the health and safety of Tasmanians remains his number one priority as he continues to respond to the COVID-19 situation in other states. It was announced that South Australia would enter a seven day lockdown from 6pm due to confirmation of a number of locally acquired COVID-19 cases in that State. In response, South Australia has been declared high-risk by Tasmania's Director of Public Health. This means that anyone wanting to travel to Tasmania from South Australia will not be permitted to enter, unless approved as an Essential Traveller, including returning Tasmanians.
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WA: COVID-19 update 21 July 2021
WA Health reported two new cases of COVID-19, as part of its daily reporting cycle. No additional crew members have returned positive results; the remaining four have tested negative. The State's COVID total is now 1048. WA Health is continuing to monitor 16 active COVID-19 cases: 10 linked to the BBC California that berthed at Fremantle Port on Tuesday, five cases in hotel quarantine and one who remains in a Perth hospital in a stable condition.
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20 July
ACT: Stay-at-home orders for travellers returning from South Australia
ACT Health said that in response to the state-wide lockdown that has been announced for South Australia, the ACT Government will implement a stay-at-home requirement for anyone who leaves South Australia after 11.59pm (AEST) 20 July 2021. At this time, these requirements will remain in place until 11.59pm (AEST) on Tuesday 27 July 2021. No travel to South Australia should take place at this time. If you must travel for essential reasons, you must abide by the public health directions in place in South Australia and with those in place in the ACT when you return.
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NSW: Public health alert - venues of concern
NSW Health has been notified of a number of new venues of concern, including venues in Goulburn and Orange, associated with confirmed cases of COVID 19. Anyone who attended the following venue on the times listed is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result, and call 1800 943 553 unless they have already been contacted by NSW Health Anyone with even the mildest of cold-like symptoms is urged to immediately come forward for testing and isolate until a negative result is received.
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NSW: Stay-at-home order for Orange, Blayney and Cabonne
NSW Health said that to protect the people of NSW from the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, new restrictions will be introduced for the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council areas from 12.01am Wednesday July 21 until 12.01am Wednesday July 28. Following updated health advice from the Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant about the growing risk to the community, stay-at-home orders will apply to all people who live in the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council areas, or have been there on or after Saturday July 17. The government and health experts will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updated information and advice.
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VIC: Extended lockdown and stronger borders
Due to the current level of community transmission of coronavirus in Victoria from the recent New South Wales (NSW) incursions, the current lockdown will be extended and travel to Victoria using Red Zone Permits will be temporarily paused. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Victorian Minister for Health Martin Foley and Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton have declared that the current restrictions in Victoria will remain in place for at least another seven days in order stamp out this Delta variant and keep Victorians safe.
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WA: South Australia to move to 'low risk' border controls immediately
WA Health said that based on the latest health advice, South Australia will immediately transition to a 'low risk' jurisdiction under Western Australia's controlled border. Anyone entering from South Australia now or has travelled through South Australia since July 8, 2021 and is entering WA from now, will be subject to the following strict conditions:
- present for a COVID-19 test on arrival (within 48 hours) and on day 12;
- self-quarantine for 14 days in a suitable premise;
- complete a G2G Pass declaration prior to arrival, stipulating they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and which jurisdictions they have been in the previous 14 days;
- land arrivals to be met at the border checkpoint, for a health screening and to have their G2G Pass declaration checked before proceeding to their self-quarantine premise.
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WA: COVID-19 update 20 July 2021
WA Health reported eight new cases of COVID-19 - crew members linked to the BBC California vessel. Two more crew members from the BBC California vessel have also returned a positive COVID test. Serology tests for the remaining four vessel crew members are still to be received. The State's COVID total is now 1046. WA Health is continuing to monitor 17 active COVID-19 cases: the 10 linked to the BBC California that docked at Fremantle Port, six cases in hotel quarantine and one who remains in a Perth hospital in a stable condition.
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19 July
Catholic private hospitals call for blanket rule for hospital staff to get vaccinated
Catholic not-for-profit hospitals are calling on National Cabinet to make vaccinations compulsory for all hospital staff across Australia and a roll out plan to ensure every worker has a date in their diary to get inoculated. Currently it is not mandatory for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID. The peak body representing Catholic not-for-profit hospitals, Catholic Health Australia (CHA), says its members are already redeploying unvaccinated staff to clinical areas where there is a lower risk of contact with COVID patients and vaccinating staff as and when Commonwealth supplies become available.
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Selected NSW pharmacies have started vaccinating against COVID-19
Selected pharmacies across rural and remote NSW have commenced vaccinating their communities against COVID-19. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) commends these local pharmacies taking part in the regional NSW rollout, and applauds the NSW Government for committing to maximising pharmacist involvement.
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South Australia
NACCHO Medical Advisor on vaccine rollout
NACCHO Medical Advisor, Dr Jason Agostino spoke on National Indigenous Radio Service (NIRS) on Thursday 15 July 2021 about the COVID-19 rollout. Dr Agostino said it is important to reinforce that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 16 years and over are eligible to get a vaccine now and that a lot is being done to make sure that both types of vaccines are available within Aboriginal medical services across the country and also via other GPs.
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NT: COVID-19 update: Mildura in Victoria declared a hotspot
The Chief Health Officer has declared the Mildura Rural City Council Local Government Area in Victoria as a hotspot for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory, backdated to 12 July 2021. This date aligns with the period of time people were in the community while infectious. Anyone travelling to the Northern Territory, who has been to the Mildura Rural City Council LGA in Victoria since 12 July 2021 and arrives in the Northern Territory after 4pm on 19 July 2021, will be required to undertake 14 days of mandatory supervised quarantine, said the NT Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet.
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NSW: Two new vaccination centres open
Two new NSW Health vaccination centres have opened their doors, boosting the NSW Government's contribution to the Federal Government's vaccine rollout. The growing number of NSW Health sites complements the GP Network, which has and will continue to deliver the majority of COVID-19 vaccines across NSW. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said the opening of these centres was another important milestone as NSW Health works towards vaccinating up to 200,000 people each week, if sufficient vaccine supply becomes available.
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NSW: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) statistics
NSW Health recorded 98 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm 18th July. Of these locally acquired cases, 61 are linked to a known case or cluster - 43 are household contacts and 18 are close contacts - and the source of infection for 37 cases is under investigation. Fifty-four cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 17 cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. There have been 1,340 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in the Bondi cluster was reported.
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TAS: Dedicated COVID-19 response team established within WorkSafe Tasmania
A permanent dedicated COVID-19 response unit has now been established within WorkSafe Tasmania to assist Tasmanian businesses with COVID-19 conditions. The dedicated unit will comprise six inspectors spread across the three regions of Tasmania, and will help to ensure the health and safety of Tasmanian workers and the community is protected. WorkSafe Tasmania inspectors are on the frontline educating businesses to ensure that workplaces are actively applying COVID-19 controls, and since 8 May 2020 has inspected over 3,900 workplaces to check they are COVID-19 Safe, said Tasmanian Minister for Workplace Safety and Consumer Affairs Elise Archer.
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18 July
NSW: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) statistics
NSW Health recorded 105 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm 17 July. Of these locally acquired cases, 66 are linked to a known case or cluster - 55 are household contacts and 11 are close contacts - and the source of infection for 39 cases remains under investigation. Sixty-nine cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and seven cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Twenty-seven cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of two cases remains under investigation. There have been 1,242 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in the Bondi cluster was reported.
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VIC: Coronavirus update for Victoria - 18 July 2020
Victoria was notified of 18 new cases of COVID-19 on 17 July. 16 are locally acquired cases linked to the recent interstate incursions of COVID-19. There were two cases reported in recently returned international travellers in hotel quarantine. There were 70 active cases in Victoria - 59 locally acquired and 11 overseas acquired cases. There were no COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria. The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,767, said the Victorian Department of Health.
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17 July
ACT: Work to begin on expanding COVID vaccine eligibility
Canberra's vaccination rate is among the highest in the nation, with more than two in five ACT adults having had their first vaccination, and 16 per cent fully vaccinated. 'That's why we are starting the process of registering 30 to 39 year-olds for their COVID-19 vaccination at an ACT Government clinic. From Wednesday 21 July, we encourage 30-39 year-old Canberrans to start their registration process so that they are in the system and can be scheduled for their vaccination once supply of Pfizer increases in the coming months,' said ACT Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith.
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VIC: Coronavirus update for Victoria - 17 July 2021
Victoria was notified of 19 new cases of COVID-19 on 16 July. All are locally acquired cases linked to the recent interstate incursions of COVID-19. There were no reported cases in recently returned international travellers in hotel quarantine. There were 54 active cases in Victoria - 43 locally acquired and 11 overseas acquired cases. There were no COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria. The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,767, said the Victorian Department of Health.
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16 July
National Cabinet statement
The National Cabinet met to discuss Australia's COVID-19 response, recent outbreaks of COVID-19 and the Australian COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy. National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions for the health and economic consequences of COVID-19. National Cabinet discussed the outbreak in Greater Sydney and the additional measures introduced by the New South Wales Government to stop the spread of the virus. National Cabinet has agreed to a suppression strategy for COVID-19 with the goal of no community transmission, said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
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AMA calls for stricter lockdown of Greater Sydney region
The AMA is calling on the NSW Government to take the further steps to bring the Greater Sydney COVID-19 Delta outbreak under control, including the closure of all non-essential retail outlets, non-essential services and reviewing limits on how far people can travel from their home. AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said the NSW Government cannot wait any longer. 'The prospect of a significant escalation of case numbers remains real, with regional areas at risk,' Dr Khorshid said.
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Scott Morrison's failed vaccine rollout targets
'Australians can now easily see how Scott Morrison has failed the vaccine rollout and why we are all paying the price for his failures,' said Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler. Labor's Not On Your Side website has been updated to detail more than 80 key developments as Mr Morrison failed his vaccine targets and prioritised photo-opps over follow-up.
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QLD: New vaccination hubs for Ipswich and Gold Coast
Ipswich and Gold Coast residents will have greater access to the COVID-19 vaccine with the opening of two new community-based vaccination centres. Queensland Minister for Health Yvette D'Ath said the new centres were in response to growing demand for vaccinations from Ipswich and Gold Coast residents.
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QLD: Public Health Alert - new exposure sites on South East Queensland, Moreton Bay Region and the Brisbane Airport
A public health alert is being issued for more contact tracing locations in Redcliffe, Rothwell, Caboolture, Chermside, Aspley, Kippa-Ring and the Brisbane Airport. For these venues, anyone who has been to a venue within the identified time frame should get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result. Also complete the contact tracing form on the website, said the Queensland Department of Health.
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Aged Care
23 July
Aged care workers on the frontline - we're calling on all Australians to say #Thanksforcaring
Australia's aged care workers are on the frontline every day protecting vulnerable older people from coronavirus which is why for this year's Aged Care Employee Day on 7 August aged care leaders are calling on Australians to say 'thank you'. 'This has been due to the diligence, professionalism and heartfelt concern of aged care staff, including managers, nurses, personal carers, allied health staff, chefs, cleaners, laundry teams and gardeners,' Leading Age Services Australia CEO Sean Rooney said.
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22 July
Home care waiting list falls to a year or less but reform still needed
Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), the voice of aged care, welcomes government estimates that maximum home care waits have fallen to a year or less, down from almost three years in 2018-19. 'The reduction in home care wait times to a year or less is a major milestone for aged care and older Australians.' said LASA's acting Chief Advocate, Tim Hicks. 'At the recent Budget the Government committed $6.5 billion to create 80,000 new home care packages over the next two years, adding to $5.5 billion in additional funding since 2018.'
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21 July
Some pressing COVID questions for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association of NSW said that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has again ceased site visits to nursing homes. The Commission was criticised for doing this at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. Back then, it ceased site visits Australia-wide. This time, the Commission has ceased site visits to homes in the Greater Sydney area only. The Commission bases its decision on the stay-at-home orders issued by the NSW Government and specific advice to aged care providers. The advice says that homes must 'exclude all visitors, except those providing essential caring functions and end of life visits.'
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18 July
Vaccine roll out in the disability sector
The majority of disability workers, over 65%, are on track to be vaccinated. They have either had two jabs, one jab or have an appointment already scheduled. While only 20% of disability workers are currently fully vaccinated two-thirds of the workforce are ready to get a vaccine, said the Australian Services Union.
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Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
None this edition.
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Allied Health
None this edition.
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Children's Health
19 July
ACCC seeks feedback on safety of potentially deadly inclined sleeping products for infants
After a review into the safety of inclined infant sleeping products, the ACCC is now seeking views on how best to respond to these potentially deadly products. Infants can suffocate when sleeping in so-called 'infant inclined products', such as bouncers, rockers, swings, loungers, bassinet-type products, wedges, recliners and sleep accessories due to the incline, curvature of the backrest and soft sleeping surface.
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Clinical Governance
None this edition.
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Construction and Health Infrastructure
22 July
WA: Joondalup Health Campus expansion reaches milestone
Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) Development Stage 2 has moved into its final construction phase for the remaining $256.7 million expansion of its health campus. The WA Government has accepted the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) proposal presented by Ramsay Health Care and Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd. The project program, staging and construction methodology has been informed by various clinical experts within the hospital, as well as consumers, said WA Minister for Health Roger Cook.
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Dental
None this edition.
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Disabilities
22 July
Advocate calls for people with disability to have vaccine choice
Advocacy organisation People with Disability Australia has called for people with disability and their treating practitioners to be able to assess their risk of getting COVID-19 and choose what vaccine to get after residents and workers at a disability group home caught the virus. The peak advocacy organisation's plea comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said risk profiles for getting COVID had shifted in recent times and states should be able to choose whether to vaccinate under-60s with AstraZeneca at mass vaccination clinics.
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16 July
Dedicated job platform connecting people with disability with employers
An accessible, online job platform will be developed to connect people with disability with potential employers. Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston said the Government would provide $3.5 million to create a disability-specific digital resource to help individuals showcase their skills and abilities. 'Job searching can be daunting for everyone but people with disability often face additional obstacles, especially when navigating mainstream services,' Minister Ruston said.
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Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability
None this edition.
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E-Health
None this edition.
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Education and Training
None this edition.
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Funding
21 July
ACT: Public hearing to discuss Canberra's needle and syringe program
The ACT Legislative Assembly said that the Committee will meet with Directions Health Services. Directions operates community-based treatment and support services, a needle and syringe program, an alcohol and other drug treatment facility, harm minimisation-based interventions and therapeutic treatments. The Committee will also hear from Drug Free Australia and Hepatitis ACT. The Bill seek to amend the Drugs of Dependence Act 1989 to lower the penalty for simple drug offences (i.e., the possession of small quantities of drugs such as MDMA, cocaine and heroin). It also provides for simple drug offences to be treated in the same way in which the Act treats simple cannabis offences.
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Health Professionals
19 July
Just one in five disability support workers vaccinated, union calls on Reynolds to take action
The Australian Services Union (ASU) is calling on National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister Linda Reynolds to take urgent measures to help disability support workers get their COVID jabs after a union survey revealed only one in five is currently vaccinated. The union survey of more than a thousand workers in the NSW and ACT disability sector found:
- 19 per cent were fully vaccinated
- 25 per cent have had their first dose
- 36 per cent are not on track to be vaccinated, primarily citing concerns about the potential impact on income, and side effects of the Astra Zeneca vaccine
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18 July
Personal protective equipment for primary health networks in Victoria
The Australian Government has announced significant quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be made available for GPs, community pharmacies and other healthcare providers across Greater Melbourne, Moorabool Shire, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire, Borough of Queenscliff and Bass Coast Shire who need to see their patients within their practices, said Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt.
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Hospitals
20 July
PHI 44/21 hospital and second-tier updates
Department of Health
The following hospitals' names and/or addresses have been updated following confirmation from
the state authority:
1. Previous name: Djerriwarrh Health Service - Bacchus Marsh
Updated name: Western Health - Bacchus Marsh
Provider number: 0030070B
2. Previous name: Djerriwarrh Health Services - Melton Health
Updated name: Western Health - Melton West
Provider number: 0031970B
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PHI 45/21 private hospital declaration
Department of Health
The following facility has been declared a private hospital under Section 121-5 of the Private Health
Insurance Act 2007:
Notting Hill City Health Day Hospital, 33-37 Duerdin Street, Notting Hill VIC, 3168 0044270L 16 July 2021 Category G
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Insurance
22 July
APRA releases its Private Health Insurance Annual Coverage Survey
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has released its Private Health Insurance Annual Coverage Survey for 2020. The survey provides a snapshot of the number of people, by age, gender and state, with hospital treatment cover at December each year.
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Medicare
20 July
Immuno-oncology therapy KEYTRUDA(pembrolizumab) available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for Australians with rare form of bowel cancer from 1 August 2021
Approximately 300 Australians diagnosed with a specific type of bowel cancer each year will have access to immuno-oncology therapy KEYTRUDA on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 August 2021. MSD announced that its cancer treatment KEYTRUDA will be listed on the PBS for the first-line monotherapy treatment of patients with a type of bowel cancer - unresectable (a tumour that cannot be removed by surgery) or metastatic (cancer that has spread to an area outside the colon/rectum) colorectal cancer that have a specific alteration (known as a biomarker) called deficient mismatch repair (dMMR), as determined by a validated test. The presence of a biomarker can help clinicians select patients that are suitable for treatment, rather than apply a 'one size fits all' approach to treatment.
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Men's Health
None this edition.
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Mental Health
20 July
World-first monitoring system provides timely data on ambulance attendances for suicide and self-harm
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released information on the number of ambulance attendances over time for suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and intentional self-injury across New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. 'The National Ambulance Surveillance System (NASS) is a world-first public health monitoring system established to provide timely and comprehensive data on ambulance attendances in Australia,' said Matthew James, AIHW Deputy CEO.
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19 July
NT: Suicide prevention grants deliver territory success stories
The NT Government's Suicide Prevention Grants have helped local organisations make a genuine difference to the lives of Territorians. One success story from last year was FORWAARD Aboriginal Corporation's Lyrics for Life project, which was rolled out with the support of 30 Territorians. FORWAARD used their Suicide Prevention Grant to produce two songs touching on themes including how to reach out for help and overcome the stigma associated with mental health, said NT Minister for Health Natasha Fyles.
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18 July
More support for youth mental health in Victoria
The Government is providing $3 million to support young Australians in Victoria. The funding will be matched by the Victorian Government and delivered through headspace, helping meet the critical demand for youth mental health services across the state. Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said the Government is profoundly committed to safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of young Australians. Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman said the Government had made more than $500 million in direct supports to respond to the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System
None this edition.
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Pharmaceuticals and Regulation
22 July
Methylphenidate - use in pregnancy health professionals are advised that the product information Documents for methylphenidate products have been updated with new information about use in pregnancy. The pregnancy category has now been changed from Category B3 to Category D and the PI documents include updated safety information relating to birth defects and malformations. Methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant. Its mode of action in humans is not completely understood, but methylphenidate presumably exerts its stimulant effect by an inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake into presynaptic neurons and thereby increasing these neurotransmitters in the extraneuronal space, said the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
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20 July
Landmark PBS listing for Australians with bowel cancer
In 2020, bowel cancer was the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, with around 15,000 Australians diagnosed with the disease each year. Sadly more than 5,000 lives are lost to bowel cancer each year, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in Australia. For the first time, Keytruda (pembrolizumab) will have its listing extended on the PBS to include the treatment of unresectable or metastatic mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer, said Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt.
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Vacancies on the Statutory Advisory Committees and the Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee
The Department of Health said that it is seeking applications from professionals with expertise in relevant medical or scientific fields or consumer health issues to support its functions as a best practice regulator. Committee members will contribute significantly towards the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) by providing independent expert advice on specific technical matters relating to the regulation of medicines, devices, vaccines and other products and substances. Committee members provide advice on the therapeutic product life cycle, from pre market evaluation to post market product safety.
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Streamlining proprietary ingredient categories
To help make the medicines application process more efficient, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) no longer allocates proprietary ingredient numbers (PI numbers) to ingredient mixtures that contain an active ingredient. Ingredient suppliers can still sell these mixtures to sponsors intended for use in medicines, but details of the mixture will not be entered into the Proprietary Ingredients Table before the sponsor submits their application. Sponsors will instead select the individual ingredients into their application at the same time as they enter the rest of their medicines' formulation details.
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16 July
Philips recall action for CPAP, Bi-Level PAP devices and mechanical ventilators
Towards the end of this month, Philips will begin contacting everyone who has registered their device. They will confirm details and outline the type of correction proposed for each device. This may take some time given the large number of affected people. Depending on the device type and its age, Philips will either provide a new base unit device or replace the foam component, said the TGA.
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Research
22 July
Innovative grant approaches used to tackle complex health problems
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) is using innovative grant models to help find solutions to significant health challenges and to turn knowledge into practice. The MRFF supports Australian health and medical research to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians, said the Department of Health.
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21 July
Gain of function research review
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) said that certain gain of function experiments have raised concerns because of their potential to increase the danger posed to humans by an infectious agent, such as a virus. These concerns have been heightened by uncertainty about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic and suggestions that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have been created in a laboratory as the product of gain of function research. The Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt has asked the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to undertake a review of gain of function research in Australia.
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Cognitive decline may help predict future fracture risk in women
Researchers led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have discovered a link between cognitive decline and a faster rate of bone loss, and found that cognitive decline over five years increased future fracture risk in women. The association between cognitive decline and bone loss was weaker in men. 'Bone loss and cognitive decline are major public health issues, but both are 'silent diseases' that can go undetected and untreated for long periods, often until the conditions are severely progressed,' said Professor Jacqueline Center, Head of the Clinical Studies and Epidemiology lab at Garvan, endocrinologist at St Vincent's Hospital and senior author of the findings published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
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DNA regulator offers new hope for Hodgkin lymphoma treatment
Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have discovered how a DNA-binding protein sustains Hodgkin lymphoma. The world-first discovery has the potential to help treat the rare cancer with the development of therapeutics that target cells once they become cancerous. The findings are published in EMBO Reports. Approximately 800 Australians are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma per year. The disease causes cancer in white blood cells, called lymphocytes, in men and women of any age, but young people in particular. The research team discovered the histone protein, H2A.B that is normally active only in the testes and the brain, becomes abnormally activated in lymphocytes, stimulating conditions that sustain Hodgkin lymphoma.
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20 July
Clinical trial national approach will benefit patients and the economy
Clinical trials in Australia are a significant enabler for faster access for patients and make an important contribution to the economy but Australia still requires a consistent, national approach to remain competitive. This newly launched consultation presents an opportunity to achieve a national, interconnected, rapid and streamlined pathway for attracting clinical trials, said Medicines Australia.
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Notification of decision on application DIR 183 from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research for a clinical trial with genetically modified E.coli to reduce antibiotic resistance
Office of the Gene Technology Regulator issued licence DIR 183 to The Westmead Institute of Medical Research, authorising a clinical trial with genetically modified E.coli to reduce antibiotic resistance. The Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) and the licence were finalised taking into account input received during consultation with the public, State and Territory governments, Australian Government agencies, the Minister for the Environment, the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee and local councils. The Regulator thanks submitters for their contributions.
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19 July
Australian COVID research needs national coordination
The research response to COVID-19 in Australia has been rapid, but trials have often been underpowered and lacking in analysis of core outcomes, with little data sharing, according to the authors of a Perspective published by the Medical Journal of Australia. Led by Dr Anna Lene Seidler, a Research Fellow at the National Health and Medical Research Council's Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney, and Professor Angela Webster, Director of Evidence Integration at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, the authors analysed data from the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry and ClinicalTrials.gov from 1 January to 16 November 2020.
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Routine vaccinations rate unaffected by COVID-19
The COVID-19 epidemic 'did not markedly affect vaccination rates for young children in Victoria, despite the longest and most restrictive response measures in Australia', according to research published by the Medical Journal of Australia. Researchers, led by Dr Frank Beard, Associate Director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) and the University of Sydney, and Mr Brynley Hull, a Research Fellow at NCIRS and the University of Sydney, compared vaccination activity in Victoria in 2019 and 2020 by analysing de-identified Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) surveillance data.
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Engaging patients in reducing low value care more effective than doctor-targeted campaigns
To protect themselves from the potential harms of low value care, patients must take an active role in clinical decision making, according to the authors of a Perspective published by the Medical Journal of Australia. Professor Ian Scott, Director of Internal Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, and Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland, and colleagues defined low value care as 'care that is ineffective, harmful or confers marginal benefit at disproportionately high cost'.
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National approach to pandemic research needed
Australia should follow the examples of the UK and parts of the US and establish a national, coordinated approach for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for COVID-19, any future pandemics, and inter-pandemic periods, according to the authors of a Perspective published by the Medical Journal of Australia. Associate Professor Asha Bowen, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist at Perth Children's Hospital, and Program Head of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Kids Institute, and colleagues, wrote that the best of some 3000 randomised control trials (RCT) for COVID-19 had been 'well-coordinated, pragmatic, publicly supported by government, and funded by national research agencies'.
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Change of GP associated with higher prescribing rates for patients with dementia in aged care
Medicine use increases and psychotropic drugs are dispensed at higher rates for people with dementia who change general practitioner (GP) when they enter residential aged care, according to research published by the Medical Journal of Australia. Researchers from UNSW Sydney, led by Heidi Welberry, a PhD graduand at the Centre for Big Data Research in Health (CBDRH), Professor Louisa Jorm, Director of the CBDRH, and Professor Henry Brodaty, Director of the Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration, set out to examine relationships between changing GP after entering residential aged care (RAC) and overall medicines prescribing (including polypharmacy) and that of psychotropic medicines, in particular.
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16 July
RAO Alert - European Union 2021 Horizon Europe
National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) said that the European Union (EU) has advertised the 2021 funding calls for its Horizon Europe program.
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Rural, Regional and Remote Health
None this edition.
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Women's Health
None this edition.
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Transcripts
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt
23 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Natalie Barr, Sunrise
Subjects: Approval of Pfizer vaccine for 12-15 year-olds, Vaccine rollout, ATAGI consideration of Pfizer for 12-15 year-olds, Vaccine supply
Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud
23 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Belinda Varischetti, ABC Country Hour WA
Subjects: Christmas Island as a quarantine facility, Ag Workers Code, Grain harvesters, Quarantine cost, Federally run quarantine facilities
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Murray Jones, 4CA
Subjects: 2032 Brisbane Olympics, Regional & rural areas in Queensland, Economic impact of Olympics, Vaccine rollout, COVID-19 Delta variant, Quarantine
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Rebecca Levingston, ABC Brisbane
Subjects: Brisbane Olympics, Lockdowns, COVID testing, Vaccinating children, COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Vaccine supplies, National Freight Code, Federal election
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Neil Breen, 4BC
Subjects: Brisbane Olympics, The Gabba construction, COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Lockdowns, ATAGI criticism, AstraZeneca, Vaccine hesitancy
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
22 JUL: Transcript of Press Conference, Canberra
Subjects: Olympics Brisbane 2032, National Security Committee, COVID-19 vaccination rollout, Pharmacies, Disaster payments, Medical advice, Medical indemnity
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Ange McCormack, ABC Triple J Hack
Subjects: COVID-19, Pandemic, Public health, Lockdowns, Vaccination, Immunisation, Young people, Education, Mental health
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Danica Di Giorgio, Sky News First Edition
Subjects: Income Support, Lockdown, Economic recovery, Vaccine rollout
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Karl Stefanovic, The Today Show, Channel 9
Subjects: Brisbane Olympics, Lockdown, Economic recovery, Vaccine rollout
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Lisa Millar, ABC News Breakfast
Subjects: Income Support, Lockdown, Economic recovery, Vaccine rollout
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Fran Kelly, RN Breakfast
Subjects: Brisbane 2032, Tokyo Olympics, AstraZeneca vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Leader of the Australian Labor Party Anthony Albanese
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Jason Hawkins & Polly Harding, KIIS 101.1
Subjects: COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Brisbane Olympics bid, National quarantine, Pandemic messaging, Vaccine reluctance
Leader of the Australian Labor Party Anthony Albanese
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Neil Breen, 4BC
Subjects: Visit to Qld, Qld Olympics bid, Vaccine rollout, National quarantine, Retail and essential workers vaccination, Vaccine hesitancy, Job security
Leader of the Australian Labor Party Anthony Albanese
22 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview, Strathpine
Subjects: Retail and essential workers needing to get vaccinated, Vaccine rollout, National quarantine, Brisbane Olympics bid, Parliament, Vaccine hesitancy
Deputy Labor Leader in the Senate Kristina Keneally
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Fran Kelly, ABC RN Breakfast
Subjects: Lockdowns, COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Purpose quarantine, Vaccine supplies, Government accountability, Modern Manufacturing Initiative, Manufacturing grants
Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Allison Langdon & Chris Smith, Today Show
Subjects: Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, Vaccine rollout, COVID-19 vaccines, Quarantine, JobKeeper, Economic support, Lockdowns
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Tony Burke
22 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Laura Jayes, Sky News
Subjects: COVID outbreaks, Vaccine rollout, Vaccine supply, Brisbane Olympics
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
21 JUL: Transcript of Press Conference, Canberra, ACT
Subjects: COVID-19, UK vaccination, Australian vaccine rollout, Pfizer, New GP presence points, Economic recovery, Financial support payments, Lockdowns, ATAGI advice, Vaccine supply
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
21 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Ali Clarke, ABC Adelaide
Subjects: COVID-19, Hotspots, Vaccines, AstraZeneca, ATAGI, Public health, Quarantine, Community transmission
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
21 JUL: Transcript of Address to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Canberra, ACT
Subjects: Tokyo Olympics, Impacts of COVID-19, Success of Australian athletes, Queensland bid for 2032 Olympic Games
Department of Health
21 JUL: Transcript of Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd's Interview with Michael Rowland, ABC News Breakfast
Subjects: Public health, COVID-19, NSW, Testing, Vaccines, Pfizer, Aboriginal organisations
Department of Health
21 JUL: Transcript of Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd's Interview with Allison Langdon & Karl Stefanovic, The Today Show
Subjects: COVID-19, Hospitals, ICU, Ventilators, Contact tracing
Minister for Health Greg Hunt
20 JUL: Transcript of Press Conference, Melbourne
Subjects: COVID-19 outbreaks, VIC, SA, NSW, Vaccine rollout, GPs, Nurses, Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations, Pharmacies, Public health, Telehealth, Testing, ATAGI
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention David Coleman
20 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Patricia Karvelas, ABC
Subjects: Mental health, Lockdown, AIHW, NSW, VIC, Eating disorders
Leader of the Australian Labor Party Anthony Albanese
20 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview, Mowbray, Tasmania
Subjects: Vaccine rollout, Cyber security, Cyber attacks, Australia-China relations, Federal election, Vaccine eligibility
Leader of the Australian Labor Party Anthony Albanese
20 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Mike O'Loughlin, Tasmania Talks
Subjects: Tasmania, Fed Opposition candidates, Fed Opposition, Vaccine rollout, Former PM, JobKeeper, Newspoll, National Cabinet, Olympics, Tourism
Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler
20 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview, Adelaide
Subjects: South Australia lockdown, Prime Minister's failures on vaccine rollout & quarantine, Priority Australians still not fully vaccinated, Pfizer, Federal income support
Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Senator for Queensland Anthony Chisholm and Labor Candidate for Capricornia Russell Robertson
20 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview, Rockhampton
Subjects: Two-speed economy, PM's failures on vaccines putting economy & recovery at risk, Central Queensland industries, Future made in Australia
Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury Andrew Leigh
20 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Marcus Paul, 2SM Radio
Subjects: Voluntary euthanasia legislation, JobKeeper payments to corporations, Vaccine rollout, Funding for marginal seats
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt
19 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Scott Emerson, 4BC Drive
Subjects: COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Pfizer delivery, Vaccine production, Eligibility, Operation COVID Shield, Katie Hopkins
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews
19 JUL: Transcript of Interview with David Koch, Sunrise
Subjects: Arrival of one million Pfizer vaccines, Vaccine rollout, Visa cancellation, Election polling, Federal Government popularity, Katie Hopkins
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews
19 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Karl Stefanovic, Today Show
Subjects: Visa cancellation, Vaccine rollout, Katie Hopkins, International travel and arrivals, Increase in hotel quarantine capacity
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews
19 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Fran Kelly, RN Breakfast
Subjects: Arrival of one million Pfizer vaccines, Vaccine rollout, Visa cancellation, Katie Hopkins, Lockdowns impact on vaccine rollout, Newspoll figures released
Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews
19 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Michael Rowland, ABC NEWS BREAKFAST
Subjects: COVID-19, Vaccination, Visas, Pfizer doses, Immunisation, QLD Premier, Tokyo, Olympics, ABF, Public health, AstraZeneca
Department of Health
19 JUL: Transcripts of Interviews by Lieutenant General John Frewen with various media organisations
Subjects: Vaccine rollout, Vaccine supply, Pfizer delivery, Vaccine eligibility, Aged care
Shadow Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones
19 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview, Woollongong Mall
Subjects: COVID-19, NSW & Vic lockdown, Regional economies, Vaccine rollout, Immunisation, COVID support package, Economic recovery
Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler
19 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Kelly Higgins-Devine, ABC Radio Brisbane Drive
Subjects: Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO recommendation, Conservation, Climate change, COVID disaster payments, Hotel quarantine, Vaccine supply
Labor Senator for New South Wales Tim Ayres
19 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Monte Irvine, 2NZ Inverell
Subjects: Newspoll, Vaccine rollout, Election polling, Federal Opposition more popular, Lockdown, Vaccine supply, National quarantine facilities
Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury Andrew Leigh
20 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Marcus Paul, 2SM Radio
Subjects: Voluntary euthanasia legislation, JobKeeper payments to corporations, Vaccine rollout, Funding for marginal seats
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt and Department of Health
18 JUL: Transcript of Press Conference with Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health, Professor Ruth Vine, Melbourne
Subjects: COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Support for Victoria and New South Wales, Mental health
Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler
18 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview, Adelaide
Subjects: PM, Vaccine rollout, Quarantine; mRNA manufacturing, Stranded Australians, Targets for opening up, Mental health services
Leader of the Australian Labor Party Anthony Albanese, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Senator for the Australian Capital Territory Katy Gallagher
17 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview, Canberra
Subjects: Vaccinations in ACT, Lack of vaccine supply, bulk billing GPs closing, PM's lockdown, ACT Labor Conference, Opposition to Territory rights, Health advice
Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler
17 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview, Adelaide
Subjects: PM, Vaccine rollout, Quarantine, Federal income support, Different state responses, Further restrictions for Sydney
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
16 JUL: Transcript of Speech to APEC Virtual Informal Leaders' Meeting, Sydney
Subjects: Pandemic, Employment levels, Economic growth and recovery post-pandemic, Vaccine rollout, Vaccine product and supply
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
16 JUL: Transcript of Press Conference, Kirribilli
Subjects: National Cabinet meeting, Vaccination rates, COVID-19 outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria, GPs, International borders, Origins of COVID-19, Social Security support
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg
16 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Peter Stefanovic, First Edition, Sky News
Subjects: Victoria lockdown, Economic support package, National Cabinet, Business support, Delta variant, Labour force
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg
16 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon, The Today Show
Subjects: COVID-19, Pandemic, NSW & VIC outbreak & lockdown, Economic support, Vaccine rollout, Immunisation
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt
16 JUL: Transcript of Interview with Russel Howcroft and Ross Stevenson, 3AW Breakfast
Subjects: COVID-19 vaccination roll out, Vaccine supply, Public sentiment
Australian Medical Association (AMA)
16 JUL: Transcript of Doorstop Interview by President, Dr Omar Khorshid, Perth
Subjects: NSW lockdown restrictions, NSW Premier, Vaccine rollout, Essential businesses, State borders, Young people with COVID-19
Queensland
Health and Environment Committee
14 JUL: Transcript of Proceedings - Public Briefing - Inquiry into the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021
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Reports
Australian Public Assessment Report for BNT162b2 (mRNA)
Department of Health, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
Comirnaty is administered intramuscularly after dilution as a course of two doses at least 21 days apart. See dosing instructions below. There are no data available on the interchangeability of Comirnaty with other COVID-19 vaccines to complete the vaccination course. Individuals who have received one dose of Comirnaty should receive a second dose of Comirnaty to complete the vaccination course.
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Aged Care Assessment Quality Framework July 2021
Department of Health
The framework is built on the premise that a high quality assessment experience adds value to the client's My Aged Care journey to services; assists with a client's navigation through the My Aged Care system to effective service delivery; and ultimately builds community trust in the My Aged Care system. The framework also describes essential organisational skills required to support assessors to reach and maintain a high-quality assessment experience for every client. The framework also incorporates the good practice of the three-tiers of quality management. It also includes a focus on assuring quality assessments in relation to younger people1 in aged care.
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Witness list and expected order of witnesses
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability
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Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee Outcome Statement 3 - 4 June 2021
Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee (DUSC)
The Paper reports the Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee (DUSC) of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC)'s 102nd meeting on the 3 - 4 June 2021. DUSC has a national focus of excellence in collecting, analysing and interpreting data on the utilisation of medicines in Australia for use by the PBAC. Review of the utilisation of medicines is an essential management tool in facilitating the objectives of the National Medicines Policy. The PBAC is also committed to understanding consumer perspectives and integrating them into consideration of medicines and vaccines.
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Notification of decision on application DIR 183 for a clinical trial with genetically modified E.coli to reduce antibiotic resistance
Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR)
The Regulator has issued licence DIR 183 to The Westmead Institute of Medical Research, authorising a clinical trial with genetically modified E.coli to reduce antibiotic resistance. The Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) and the licence were finalised taking into account input received during consultation with the public, State and Territory governments, Australian Government agencies, the Minister for the Environment, the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee and local councils. The Regulator thanks submitters for their contributions.
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Submission to the draft National Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Office of the Children's Commissioner
The report is a submission to the draft National Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (the draft national strategy). The OCC would like to acknowledge how well the framework captures the continuum of wellbeing, understands the prevalence of mental health challenges regardless of diagnosis and outlines practical indicators to address this important issue for Australia's children. The OCC submits there remains a need to be more inclusive and cognisant of the multifaceted child mental health and wellbeing concerns particular to the Northern Territory.
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The Impact of Weather on Time Allocation to Physical Activity and Sleep of Child-Parent Dyads
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course
The report said that regular physical activity supports healthy functioning of individuals across all ages. However, children and adults are not physically active enough. Much research has investigated the barriers to children and adults being more physically active. One of the commonly documented barriers is unfavourable weather conditions (i.e., too hot, cold or wet). However, it remains unclear whether unfavourable weather conditions have a differential impact on physical activity and sleep in children compared with adults. This study explores the differential impact of weather on time allocation to physical activity and sleep by young adolescents and their middle-aged parents.
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Alcohol-related harm in families and alcohol consumption during COVID-19
Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) and Child Family Community Australia (CFCA)
This paper explores alcohol-related harm within families and the best available evidence on alcohol consumption during the restrictions related to COVID-19 in Australia, from March to July 2020. Drawing on a scoping review of survey data and established evidence, the paper explores what alcohol-related harm looks like, what is known about alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm during the early stages of COVID-19, and how practitioners can adopt a harm-minimisation approach when working with clients.
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Report No. 4 - Impacts of COVID-19 on pregnancy and fertility intentions
Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)
In the first and second waves of COVID-19, as the health sector was focused on treating those infected and stopping the spread, the experience of those who were expecting newborns was inevitably affected. This report examines the impacts of COVID-19 on the pregnancy and fertility decisions of those who were trying to have children before the pandemic and women who were currently expecting a child. It also looks at women's future intentions for having children.
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Mental health services in Australia
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
In 2018-19 across all age bands, the majority of collection occasions were in ambulatory service settings-accounting for 54,633 (89.7%) collection occasions for young people aged 11-17 years, 254,987 (71.1%) for people aged 18-64, and 45,194 (82.1%) for people aged 65 years and older. Inpatient settings accounted for 6,217 (10.2%) collection occasions for young people aged 11-17 years, and 95,885 (26.8%) for people aged 18-64. Within the inpatient setting, the majority of service programs provided acute care, accounting for 97.1% of inpatient collection occasions for 11-17 year-olds, 94.7% for people aged 18-64, and 93.3% for people aged 65 years and older.
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Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia annual report
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
In 2019-20, around 139,300 clients aged 10 and over received AOD treatment. The four most common drugs that led clients to seek treatment were alcohol (34%), amphetamines (28%), cannabis (18%) and heroin (5.1%). The median age of clients was 35 years. Early responses of AOD services to the COVID-19 pandemic are seen in the last quarter of 2019-20, impacting some treatment types and service delivery settings.
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Co-designing aged care: Views of 4,562 older Australians
National Seniors Australia
From those thousands of completed surveys, NSA identified several types of response to codesign prevalent among the community of Australian seniors. About half of the participants constructively and sincerely engaged with the meanings of co-design in their responses, offering their definitions or ideals for what co-design means to them in this context. Different people discussed different components of co-design that interested them, which together build up a picture of what co-design might look like.
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The missing link: How pharmacies can accelerate Australia's vaccine roll-out
McKell Institute
As of 12 July 2021, Australia had fully vaccinated 2,400,432 residents against COVID-19, equivalent to 11.64 per cent of the total population 16 years and over. The rate of vaccination in Australia has been slower than in other comparable countries, including Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and Canada. Australia is ranked last out of the 38 OECD nations in the percentage of the population who have been fully vaccinated.
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Hansards
Federal
09 JUL 2021: SENATE COMMITTEE HANSARD: Community Affairs References Committee - Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and related entities under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law - Canberra
28 JUN 2021: JOINT COMMITTEE HANSARD: Joint Standing Committee on The National Disability Insurance Scheme - National Disability Insurance Scheme oversight - Sunshine Coast
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Court Cases
None this edition.
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New Regulations
Federal
Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Section 3C General Medical Services - Usual Medical Practitioner Exemption) Determination 2021
Legislative Instrument - F2021L01007
The Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Section 3C General Medical Services - Usual Medical Practitioner Exemption) Determination 2021 (the Amendment Determination) amends the Principal COVID-19 Determination to remove the requirement for patients to have an existing relationship with their medical practitioner to access a general practice telehealth or phone item related to mental health support services, including services provided under the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the MBS initiative (also known as Better Access) and eating disorder services. The Amendment Determination also removes this requirement for Better Access telehealth and phone services provided under the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical - Expansion of GP and Allied Health Mental Health Services) Determination 2020.
Explanatory Statement
Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services - Smoking Cessation Services) Determination 2021
Legislative Instrument - F2021L01006
The purpose of the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services - Smoking Cessation Services) Determination 2021 (the Determination) is to list 18 new temporary items for general practitioner (GP) and other medical practitioner (OMP) services related to nicotine and smoking cessation counselling. These new items include six face-to-face, six telehealth and six phone services. These items are temporary and will cease on 30 June 2022.
Explanatory Statement
Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Section 3C General Medical Services
Legislative Instrument - F2021L00994
The Government is implementing a longer general practice telephone service to provide an increased Medicare benefit for patients who are located in an area declared as a COVID-19 hotspot by the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer or are subject to a public health order that requires the person to be in isolation or quarantine. The list of hotspots declared by the Chief Medical Officer is currently available on health.gov.au and currently includes local government areas in the Sydney region and Melbourne.
Explanatory Statement
ACT
Long Service Leave (Portable Schemes) Mental Health Community Coalition ACT Employer Declaration 2021
Disallowable Instrument DI2021-191
This instrument is made by the Minister being satisfied that the coverage of Mental Health Community Coalition ACT under the Act is consistent with the objects of the Act as required under section 12 (3). This instrument will expire after a period of five years to allow the continued declaration of Mental Health Community Coalition ACT to be reviewed.
Explanatory Statement
Western Australia
16 JUL 2021: WA, GOVERNOR IN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL: Public Health Act 2016 - Public Health Amendment Regulations (No. 2) 2021 - SL 2021/122
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Proclamations
None this edition.
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Gazette Notices
NSW
19 JUL 2021: NSW GOVERNMENT GAZETTE No. 330: Extraordinary Gazette - Public Health Act 2010 - Section 11 - Power to Close Public Premises on Public Health Grounds
Western Australia
16 JUL 2021: WA GOVERNMENT GAZETTE: General Gazette No. 126 - Health - Public Health Act 2016 - Public Health Amendment Regulations (No. 2) 2021 - SL 2021/122
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Consolidated Legislation
Federal
Health Insurance (Bonded Medical Program) Rule 2020
Legislative Instrument Compilation - F2021C00696
Rules/Other as amended, taking into account amendments up to Health Insurance (Bonded Medical Program) Amendment (Extension of Transitional Provisions) Rule 2021.
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National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS Provider Definition) Rule 2018
Legislative Instrument - F2021C00694
Rules/Other as amended, taking into account amendments up to National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS Provider Definition) Amendment Rules 2021.
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Quality of Care Principles 2014
Legislative Instrument Compilation - F2021C00685
Principles as amended, taking into account amendments up to Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No.1) Principles 2021.
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Aged Care (Leave from Residential Care Services) (Situation of Emergency-Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Determination 2020
Legislative Instrument Compilation - F2021C00684
Determinations/Aged Care as amended, taking into account amendments up to Aged Care (Leave from Residential Care Services) (Situation of Emergency-Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Amendment Determination 2021.
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Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services - General Practice Attendance for Assessing Patient Suitability for a COVID-19 Vaccine) Determination 2021
legislative Instrument Compilation - F2021C00682
Determinations/Health as amended, taking into account amendments up to Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services - General Practice Attendance for Assessing Patient Suitability for a COVID-19 Vaccine) Amendment (No. 3) Determination 2021.
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A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge-Fringe Benefits) Act 1999
Act Compilation- C2021C00267
Act No. 18 of 1999 as amended, taking into account amendments up to Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 3) Act 2021 An Act to implement A New Tax System by imposing Medicare levy surcharge on reportable fringe benefits totals of some employees without private hospital insurance.
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National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Instrument 2012
Consolidated Legislation - F2021C00688
PB 71 of 2012 Other as amended, taking into account amendments up to National Health (Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Amendment Instrument 2021 (No. 6)
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New Bills
None this edition.
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New Acts
None this edition.
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