COAG delays reform of roles and responsibilities for health care

The communique from the Council Of Australian Governments (COAG) has put off consideration of transfers of roles and responsibilities of community mental health, funding and disability services until its next meeting in November.

The October meeting had been expected to decide on the formal handover of power for community aged care funding to the Commonwealth, and disability services and community mental health, to the states.

It announced that the development of a reform package would be  underpinned by the following principles:

• continuity of care for clients, which is responsive to changing needs –  delivered by seamless and responsive services tailored to changing care needs;
• simple access to services – delivered by streamlined assessment and eligibility criteria;
• seamless transition of care for client – : delivered by an assurance of client choice to receive ongoing ‘care in place’, and smooth interfaces between care systems;
• simplified accountability of governments to the community –  delivered by clearer responsibility of levels of government for policy and service provision to a particular client group;
• reform of roles and responsibilities should be budget neutral for both levels of government –  delivered by the transfer of current funding to mirror the transfer of responsibilities for service provision; and
• creation of a national aged care system and national disability service system for community and residential care – delivered by strengthened policy responsibility for delivery of the spectrum of community and residential care services for a particular client group.

COAG has also directed senior officials to establish a Roles and Responsibilities Working Group to develop a reform package for consideration by COAG at its next meeting.

This work will include consultation with local government. This will deliver on COAG’s commitment to fix the intersection of aged care and disability services and clarify the roles and responsibilities of governments.

Governments are committed to working together to make sure that transition to new arrangements is managed carefully to ensure continuity of care for clients.

The current mix of service providers will continue, including local government, state agency and non government providers.