Government reveals disability royal commission response

The Federal Government has released its long-awaited initial response to the disability royal commission, 10 months after a damning final report was handed down.
 
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was Australia’s largest inquiry into the experiences of people with disability.
 
Over the course of several years, it uncovered shocking evidence of abuse of those living with disability and made 222 recommendations for change.
 
On Wednesday, the Government accepted in full or in principle 130 recommendations of the 172 for which it has primary or shared responsibility with states and territories.
 
It is still considering a further 36, while six recommendations were ‘noted’.
 
Federal Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the Government is committed to ensuring the implementation of the agreed recommendations leads to ‘real and lasting change for people with disability’.
 
‘What was uncovered throughout the royal commission was confronting, shocking and often incredibly disturbing,’ she said.
 
‘Circumstances of appalling experiences of abuse, and neglect, and discrimination against people with disability were revealed that have absolutely no place in our country, and quite frankly, anywhere.
 
‘We are making significant, new financial investments, but we’re also committing to policy and legislative reform.’
 
However, the Federal Government has failed to commit to many of the Commission’s most high-profile recommendations.
 
It will not introduce a new disability rights act and has simply ‘noted’ recommendations to phase out specialist disability schools, group homes, and segregated employment programs.
 
Of the commitments relating to GPs and general practices, an agreement in principle has been made to introduce disability health navigators to support people with disability.
 
‘All governments are committed to working together to support the development of a nationally consistent health navigation framework,’ the response said.
 
The Government has also agreed in principle to expand the scope of health workforce capability development to include all forms of cognitive disability at all stages of education and training.
 
The RACGP has long called for GPs’ role in disability care to be better recognised, saying they are currently overlooked and often missing from multidisciplinary care teams.
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins welcomed the response but said GPs must be better integrated into disability care to reduce double handling and risk of fragmentation.
 
‘It is a major oversight for GPs, general practices, and their teams not to be included in existing health services for patients with disability,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘GPs can make planning and treatment much more efficient, we can reduce duplication, and, because we know our patients best, we can target and individualise supports especially for them.
 
‘It is much more efficient and cost-effective to invest in multidisciplinary care teams, with GPs at the centre, than to fund the establishment of new services.’
 
The Government has accepted in principle a recommendation to improve specialist training and continuing professional development in cognitive disability healthcare.
 
This would include peak bodies, including the RACGP, developing specialised training content in cognitive disability health for different areas of specialisation to help develop skills and competencies.
 
The Commonwealth has dedicated $3.7 million to continue the Primary Care Enhancement Program for People with Intellectual Disability. It will also spend $227.6 million to implement a new specialist disability employment program.
 
It has committed to spending $39.7 million to establish a new disability advocacy program and $12.3 million to improve national approaches to accessible information and communications.
 
It was agreed in principle to improve access to clinical placements in disability health services, with the Government saying it recognises the need to improve opportunities for student placements in the disability sector.
 
It was also agreed to publish joint annual progress reports on implementation of measures on the inappropriate use of psychotropic medicines to manage the behaviours of people with disability and older people.
 
But Dr Higgins said if these changes are to be achieved in general practice, and the broader healthcare sector, major and systemic changes are needed.
 
‘The Medicare rebates are in need of a major overhaul – they are currently not fit for purpose, and they are not covering the true and realistic cost of providing comprehensive care to people with disability.
 
‘Right now, GPs are left out-of-pocket when completing admin and NDIS paperwork, and we needed to be properly funded to better improve quality of life for people with disability.
 
‘This response is a welcome first step, but there is much more to be done to ensure GPs have appropriate input into the NDIS planning process, and that funding is allocated appropriately and fairly.’
 
Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler said the royal commission has focused the attention of all health ministers on ways governments can improve the health system for people with disability.
 
‘The measure of a country is in the support and care it gives to its most vulnerable,’ he said.
 
‘Improving access and quality across the health system for people with disability is a responsibility that I know I, and all my health minister colleagues, take very seriously.’
 
The Government is still considering its response to 36 of the recommendations, with responses to these to be published at a later date.
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

disability National Disability Insurance Scheme royal commission