The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) has expressed its disappointment with the findings of the final Productivity Commission (PC) report into aged care, saying that the findings fail to address the systemic problems of the industry.

“Whilst the PC report acknowledges there are workforce issues in aged care, it contains no tangible mechanisms on how to close the wages gap for the aged care workforce so residents receive quality care they deserve,” ANF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas said.

“It is inconceivable that the PC, after months of public hearings and submissions from nursing staff from the various states, fails to address the $500 million required to close the wages gap for nurses and assistants in nursing (AINs) working in the sector.”

Health Workforce Australia is developing a Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform (RRHWIR) Strategy that will provide  national guidance on future needs, reforms and initiatives to improve the health care services in rural and remote communities.

The Western Australian Government has established five Local Health Networks to guide and oversee hospitals and health services across the State.

The Federal Government has announced that it will start work immediately with states and territories on measures that will build the foundations for a National Disability Insurance Scheme, following the release of the Productivity Commission's final report into the matter.

The Tasmanian Minister for Health, Michelle O’Byrne, has announced a further $25 million in health budget savings measures as part of the $100 million of required savings from the state’s 2011 $1.7 billion health and human services budget. The latest cost cutting takes the the savings announced since the State Budget to more than $70 million.

The Federal Government's new $558 million National Workforce Development Fund will target training for the aged care workforce as one of its priorities in the 2011-12 funding round.

A public consultation process has been opened  on a draft bill to set up three Tasmanian Health Organisations (THO),  local hospital networks which are being delivered under the National Health Reform.

The Productivity Commission has released its report into aged care, suggesting a range of reforms that would allow for greater choices and flexibility for the elderly.

A University of Newcastle scientist has developed a technique to stop viruses and bacteria multiplying in the human body, paving the way for new drugs to treat infectious disease, cancer and neurological disorders.

The report of the Expert Panel Review of Elective Surgery and Emergency Access has been released, outlining a program of investment and whole-of-hospital change that would be necessary to achieve the targets set out in the Targets National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services.

A report on the health of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, released by the Australian Health Ministers Conference, has shown a narrowing of the gap for all cause mortality and avoidable mortality, and improvements in some health performance measures.


The third report against Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (HPF) is designed to measure progress on closing the gap in Indigenous health and to stimulate debate and policy innovation in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

The press and online campaign featuring local doctors working in the region will run nationally as well as internationally in countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, where the medical training is recognised by the Australian Medical Council’s Competent Authority Pathway.

The Western Australian Government has announced the appointment of new members to  the Ministerial Council for Suicide Prevention to implement Western Australia’s first Suicide Prevention Strategy.

The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) has called for an injection of almost $500 million to close the wages gap and attract 20,000 new nursing staff.

The Federal Government has announced a $6 million spending package to combat the Hendra virus.

The Federal Government has signed off with all states and territories on details of the national health reform, agreed to in principle by COAG in February.

Needless vaccination technology developed by the University of Queensland is due to be commercialised under funding by the Federal Government’s Innovation Investment Fund.

The Minister for Health and Medical Research, Jillian Skinner, has delivered on her pre-election promise to make medical research a priority by announcing the team which will develop the state’s first long-term plan to future-proof the industry.

The Tasmanian Minister for Health, Michelle O’Byrne has outlined a number of spending cuts to the state’s health sector, following the austere state budget that called for over $100 million to be pulled from state’s health system.

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