The Australian Government consulted on a draft Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill to establish a new independent statutory office–the Inspector-General of Aged Care–to provide oversight and drive improvements in the aged care system.
The Australian Government, consulted on a draft Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill (the Bill) to establish a new independent statutory office - the Inspector-General of Aged Care (Inspector-General) – to provide oversight of, and to drive improvements in the aged care system.
This follows the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (Royal Commission) recommendation for the establishment of an Inspector-General to improve transparency and accountability across the aged care system and address longstanding sector-wide problems, or ‘systemic issues’, in aged care. Issues, according to the Royal Commission, include inadequate funding, variable provider behaviour, a lack of system leadership, and poor access to health care amongst people receiving aged care.
LHA’s letter supports the aims of the Bills and calls for:
- The inclusion in the Bill of appropriate references to human rights standards and mechanisms, relevant to aged care. In particular, there needs to be stronger alignment with the planned human rights approach of the new Act and to ensure the Inspector-General is able to enforce it.
- The Aged Care system and the oversight mechanisms such as the Inspector General to address the diverse needs of LGBTI older people the specific experiences and needs of older LGBTI people.
The consultation on the draft Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill closed on 27 January 2023. For further information: Fact sheet template (blue) (health.gov.au)