6 years ago
MINISTER MISSES HIS OWN DEADLINE FOR AGED CARE ACTION
Julie Collins MP
With Parliament scheduled to rise for more than a month today, the Minister for Aged Care will fail to meet his January commitment to release new regulationsregarding physical and chemical restraints ‘within weeks’.
The Morrison Government has known about the need to better regulate the use of physical and chemical restraints in aged care for 18 months and it still hasn’t properly fixed this serious issue.
The Government has been too distracted by dysfunction and division to focus on older Australians.
We already know the use of physical and chemical restraints will be an issue in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Earlier this week the head of the Department of Health confirmed at the Commission the regulations hadn’t even been drafted.
It is clear the Minister for Aged Care rushed to avoid more bad headlines in advance of the Royal Commission when he made his commitment for new regulations, without any work having been done to fix this serious issue.
This has been the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government’s consistent approach to aged care reform – only acting when it has been pushed.
Over the past five years under the Liberals there has been little action from three Prime Ministers and three Aged Care Ministers.
Older Australians and their loved ones deserve better.
The Morrison Government has known about the need to better regulate the use of physical and chemical restraints in aged care for 18 months and it still hasn’t properly fixed this serious issue.
The Government has been too distracted by dysfunction and division to focus on older Australians.
We already know the use of physical and chemical restraints will be an issue in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Earlier this week the head of the Department of Health confirmed at the Commission the regulations hadn’t even been drafted.
It is clear the Minister for Aged Care rushed to avoid more bad headlines in advance of the Royal Commission when he made his commitment for new regulations, without any work having been done to fix this serious issue.
This has been the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government’s consistent approach to aged care reform – only acting when it has been pushed.
Over the past five years under the Liberals there has been little action from three Prime Ministers and three Aged Care Ministers.
Older Australians and their loved ones deserve better.