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DRC Discussion Topic 3, Health

Background information

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability released its Final Report on 29 September 2023 after four and a half years of inquiry. 

Almost 10,000 people shared their stories with the Royal Commission. 

The Royal Commission looked at what governments, institutions and the community should do to prevent people with disability experiencing any form of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation. 

It was focused on key areas including employment, education, housing, justice settings, healthcare and disability services. 

Of the six commissioners who wrote the recommendations, two identify as living with disability and one is a parent of a daughter living with multiple sclerosis. 

The Final Report makes 222 recommendations. 

Some of the recommendations are the responsibility of the Commonwealth Government, some are for State Governments, and some require collaboration between the two governments. 

The South Australian Government is writing a formal response to the recommendations. 

The response will include if and how the South Australian Government will act on the recommendations that have been made by the Royal Commission. 

The response is due by 31 March 2024. 

As part of this process, the South Australian Government wants to ensure the voices of people with disability and their families are included. 

The South Australian Government has asked Purple Orange to facilitate the sessions. 

These sessions are an opportunity for people with lived experience to make sure their views are considered when the South Australian Government responds to the Royal Commission. 

Feedback from these sessions will be captured and included in a written section of the South Australian response. 

 

The sessions: 

The South Australian Government has asked Purple Orange to facilitate six sessions focused on key areas of the Royal Commission Report. Session topics and dates listed here. 

 

Some of the main recommendations from the Royal Commission include: 

  • A new Disability Rights Act 

  • A new Disability Commission to manage the Disability Rights Act 

  • A new Federal Disability Minister 

  • A new National Disability Agreement between all governments in relation to funding 

  • Improvement to safeguarding practices and laws 

  • Improving disability support worker screening and recruitment processes 

 

Commissioners disagreed about whether settings that separate people with disability from non-disabled people (like group homes, ‘special’ schools, and supported employment) should continue or be phased out. 

The commissioners who live with disability or have disability in their family want segregated settings to end by being phased out for different options. 

The other commissioners do not want the segregated settings to end. 

The commissioners who do want them phased out suggested long timelines to do this. 

 

Third Session - Health

When talking about health, the Royal Commission recommended: 

  • The creation of the new Disability Rights Act should protect the right to equitable access to health services. 

  • Building the capability of the health care workforce should help address barriers experienced by people with disability in accessing quality health care, and will also help identify adaptations and supports needed for a person-centred approach. 

  • The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care should immediately expand work on an intellectual disability health capability framework to address all forms of cognitive disability (such as intellectual disability, acquired brain injury and dementia), and to apply at all stages of education and training (including entry-level and post-graduate programs, and continuing professional development). 

  • Accreditation authorities for health professions to review and amend the accreditation standards to ensure cognitive disability health is sufficiently covered. 

  • Accreditation authorities for health professions to encourage or mandate education providers to develop specific cognitive disability health curriculum content. 

  • The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to improve access to clinical placements in disability health services as a priority. 

  • State and territory governments fund, establish and evaluate specialised health and mental health services for people with cognitive disability to provide specialist assessment and clinical services. 

  • The introduction of ‘disability health navigators’ to assist people with cognitive disability and complex health issues to find their way through the health system. 

  • All governments work with people with disability to identify and publish a list of frequently needed adaptations and supports to enable all people with disability to receive high-quality health care. 

  • The inclusion in key health system policy instruments (such as the national health standards and the charter of rights) of the right to equitable access to health services. 

  • The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) to revise the standards relating to the delivery of safe and high-quality health care for people with disability and align them with the new Disability Rights Act. 

  • The ACSQHC to amend the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights to include the right to equitable access to health services for people with disability and align it with the new Disability Rights Act. 

  • The ongoing collection of data and reporting on the use of psychotropic medication against people with disability, particularly those with cognitive disability. 

  • The National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP) to do a longitudinal study of behaviour support planning and other practices aimed at reducing and eliminating restrictive practices. 

  • The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) to work with state and territory governments to develop consistent definitions and collection methods for data relating to restrictive practices. 

  • All governments to establish health sector targets and measures aimed at reducing and eliminating restrictive practices over time. 

 

Key questions for health session: 

  • What is your experience with health care services in South Australia? This could be GP, Hospitals, mental health services, or other. 

  • One of the recommendations for State Governments is to fund, establish and evaluate specialised health and mental health services for people with cognitive disability to provide specialist assessment and clinical services. What do you think of these specialised services and how do you think they should be created and evaluated? 

  • What are some barriers that prevent people with disability from accessing and receiving quality physical and mental health care? 

  • How can health care professionals improve their communication or interactions with people with disability? What should they know to enable them to provide high quality care to people with disability? 

  • What do inclusive health care services look like to you? 

  • Looking at the summary of the recommendations, did the Royal Commission miss any key issues relating to health care that you would have liked to have seen in the final report? 

  • What is the most important priority to you when it comes to the health care of people with disability? What should the Government focus on in the next year?