Productivity Commission inquiry incomplete without examination of medical care for the elderly
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the terms of reference for the Productivity Commission’s public inquiry into aged care are missing one vital component - medical care of the elderly in residential aged care.
Dr Pesce said medical care is not specifically addressed in the terms of reference released today.
“This is a glaring oversight,” Dr Pesce said
“Elderly Australians should be entitled to get access to a general practitioner or other medical specialist when they move into residential aged care.
“There is currently no specific requirement on aged care providers to ensure that residents have access to medical care on an ongoing basis.
“This is despite the fact that too often the reports on sanctions on aged care providers are about the poor medical condition of residents.
“There is no regulatory backing to formally require aged care facilities to make medical care available for their residents. The AMA believes this should be a
requirement for aged care provider accreditation.
“The Productivity Commission terms of reference are not consistent with the health reforms that COAG agreed on yesterday.
“While COAG focussed on ways to improve access to medical care, including for the elderly, the aged care inquiry is steering clear of medical care altogether by not looking specifically at the necessary regulation of aged care providers in line with the COAG objective.
“The AMA calls on the Government to expand the terms of reference to explicitly include examination of access to medical care by residents in aged care facilities.
“Medical care access must not only be improved, it must become a defining feature of the care that is provided for residents in aged care facilities.”
21 April 2010
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