Policy
CHA Election Platform 2010: Putting disadvantaged Australians at the forefront of health reform
On any given day, one in 10 Australians in a hospital or residential aged care bed is being cared for in a Catholic facility. One in three of all older Australians receiving Commonwealth funded community care is being cared for by a Catholic organisation. These services exist for all Australians, but particularly for those in socioeconomic disadvantage who, through no fault of their own, often miss out on quality health and aged care.
The Catholic Health Australia Stewardship Board invites all people or parties seeking election to the House of Representatives and Senate to consider adopting CHA's policy initiatives as their own.
CHA's expert policy analysts will respond to and analyse the Labor and Coalition health and aged care election policies as they are announced.
- Assessing the Coalition's aged care policy - by Senior Aged Care Policy Adviser Nick Mersiades
- Assessing the Greens' aged care policy - by Senior Aged Care Policy Adviser Nick Mersiades
Putting palliative care on the national policy agenda
The neglect of palliative care in the broader health policy agenda presents as an urgent health challenge for governments. Palliative care is not an optional extra – it must be viewed as an integral core component of health care delivery and take place in any setting. Governments must invest in providing palliative care services as a core part of health care and not as an “add-on extra”.
Catholic Health Australia's new publication, “Pursuing excellence in palliative care,” aims to contribute to the revision of the National Palliative Care Strategy and calls for an adherence to fifteen principles that should be responded to by governments and service providers in order to deliver excellence in palliative care.
Father Frank Brennan - Advocate in Residence
Catholic Health Australia, Catholic Social Services Australia, the Public Policy Institute and the St Vincent de Paul Society are excited to welcome Fr Frank Brennan, who has agreed to act for the groups as Catholic Advocate in Residence.
Fr Brennan has a strong history of advocating for, and working with, disadvantaged Australians. His primary role as Advocate is to raise awareness of the crucial links between socioeconomic and other disadvantage, and poor health outcomes - and to help the four organisations and the Australian Government work towards eliminating the social determinants that lead to poor health and early death.
His first paper as Advocte is entitled Forging a National Commitment to Compassion, Justice and Excellence at the Frontiers of Healthcare Delivery. Click here to download it.
A response to the Federal Government's broad health reform plan
Catholic Health Australia has written a formal response to the health reform plan announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at the National Press Club in March 2010.
Community Aged Care: A Better Way Forward
CHA Policy Proposal for a National Health Workforce Commission
Access Economics - Economic evaluation of capital financing of high care
New nursing home accommodation costs $40.32 per bed per day over 25 years to build and fit out, Access Economics reveals in this report commissioned by a coalition of major Australian providers of aged care. The cost compares with a legislated cap on the per-bed payment of just $26.88 per day.
Social Inclusion and Catholic Health Care - February 2009
As the Federal Government develops its Social Inclusion Agenda, CHA has released a discussion paper prepared by Dr Patrick McAdle on the role of Catholic social justice principles within the Social Inclusion Agenda.
