Report on staffing ratio disclosure Aged Care Bill presented

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport Committee today presented to Parliament its Advisory Report on the Aged Care Amendment (Staffing Ratio Disclosure) Bill 2018.

 

The Committee recommended the passage of the Bill, which would require aged care providers to report staff-to-patient ratios for their facilities on a quarterly basis.

 

The Committee Chair, Mr Trent Zimmerman MP, stated that ‘aged care has been a particular focus of the Committee’s work during 2018. In October, the Committee released the final report for its inquiry into aged care and followed that up with this inquiry.’

 

‘The Committee has recommended the passage of the Bill and welcomes the increased transparency for consumers that will be provided by the publication of staffing ratios.

 

The Committee has also recommended that staffing ratios be published with additional contextual information to assist consumers interpret the data and enable them to be in a better position to make an informed choice’, Mr Zimmerman said.

 

The specific recommendations in the Advisory Report were:

Recommendation 1

2.66 The Committee recommends that the Aged Care Amendment (Staffing Ratio Disclosure) Bill 2018 be passed by the Parliament.

 

Recommendation 2

2.67 The Committee recommends that the Department of Health publish the staffing ratio data specified in the Bill in a form that allows consumers to consider resident acuity levels when comparing facilities.

 

Recommendation 3

2.68 The Committee recommends that, should the proposed Bill be passed, that for twelve months following the implementation of the Bill, the Department of Health monitor (and make legislation and other adjustments where necessary), the effectiveness of:

  • subsection 9-3C(4) with a view to whether there is a need to report on staffing ratios at night and on weekends; and
  • subsection 9-3C(9) with a view to whether this clause creates an unnecessary reporting burden, particular for smaller facilities.

 

Recommendation 4

2.69 The Committee reiterates the recommendation from its Report on the Inquiry into the Quality of Care in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Australia that: the National Aged Care Quality Indicator Program:

  • be made mandatory for providers of Australian Government-funded residential aged care services; and
  • be expanded to include a broader range of key indicators, to be determined with the involvement of the aged care sector and consumer groups.

 

Recommendation 5

3.55 The Committee reiterates the recommendation from its Report on the Inquiry into the Quality of Care in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Australia, which is that the Australian Government:

  • legislate to ensure that residential aged care facilities provide for a minimum of one Registered Nurse to be on site at all times; and
  • specifically monitor and report on the correlation between standards of care (including complaints and findings of elder abuse) and staffing mixes to guide further decisions in relation to staffing requirements.

 

Recommendation 6

3.56 The Committee recommends that, twelve months after implementation, the Australian Government review the effectiveness of publishing staffing ratios in improving transparency and consumer choice. This should include consideration of whether amendments are needed to the ten staffing categories outlined in subsection 9-3C(5).

 

The Aged Care Amendment (Staffing Ratio Disclosure) Bill 2018 can be seen at https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6157

 

The Advisory Report is available on the Committee’s website at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Health_Aged_Care_and_Sport/StaffingRatioBill/Report

 

7 December 2018.