Policy and Advocacy Library
The library is the culmination of the collaborative work of RACP members and comprises a comprehensive range of evidence-based, published RACP position statements, policies and submissions.
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Description
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) provided evidence in a submission to He Pou a Rangi | Climate Change Commission to contribute to the upcoming National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) 2026. The NCCRA is produced every six years, identifies the most significant risks – assessing their nature, severity and the need for co-ordinated actions to respond. This work is part of the Climate Change Commission’s core role to independently assess the risks that Aotearoa faces from the current and future effects of climate change.
Description
This submission responds to the NSW Special Commission of lnquiry into Healthcare Funding: Issues Paper 3/2024 – Funding Models and the Way NSW Health Funds Health Services in NSW. The RACP considers that the issues outlined in the Issues Paper are of critical importance to both the future of healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of patients across NSW. The RACP remains committed to supporting the development of a robust and equitable healthcare funding system in NSW. The RACP emphasises that there is a need to ensure funding reform delivers a more efficient, equitable, and patient-centred approach to healthcare delivery in NSW. The RACP submission refers to specific proposals for what is needed to improve the interface of Federal and NSW jurisdictional planning for improved, more efficient, more cost-effective and timely service provision to patients.
Description
The RACP’s submission to the NSW Special Commission of lnquiry into Healthcare Funding highlights that a safe and well-resourced medical specialist workforce is essential to a functioning, effective and sustainable health system. The NSW health workforce faces many challenges that have been further exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, such as increasing pressures and demands affecting health workers’ mental health and wellbeing, and an uneven distribution of medical professionals across locations and specialties. The RACP’s submission outlines improvements to the NSW health system to better meet the population’s health needs in a sustainable way.
Description
The RACP submitted to the Hīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s in response to their consultation on work with engineered stone and materials containing crystalline silica.
Description
The COVID-19 Living Narrative provides a historical overview of approved policy and advocacy activities undertaken by the College in response to the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and November 2024. While previous iterations were updated with new activity as the public health emergency progressed, this 2024 publication is the final version of the COVID-19 Living Narrative and highlights the enormous contributions of the RACP COVID-19 Expert Reference Group, Fellows, Trainees and College staff.
Topic
Election-related health advocacy
Description
As the 2025 Federal election approaches, the College is calling on the incoming Federal Government to deliver the healthcare Australians need. The College Election Statement 2025 is focused on improved access to specialist care, building up a strong, well distributed and resilient physician workforce, delivering integrated care arrangements for patients where and when needed and ensuring stable and accessible supply of medicines. Our election roadmap sets out the achievable and practical steps towards addressing key health care concerns of our communities and the health care system as whole with a view to achieving better patient outcomes and the best health system Australians deserve.
Description
The RACP submitted to Hīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to support the development of mandatory requirements to provide adequate insulation in buildings, particularly homes, to keep them warm, dry and healthy, as well as increase energy efficiency. The RACP supported the decision to remove the “schedule method” pathway for H1 energy efficiency, however, did not support the proposed reduction in wall insulation requirements from R2 to R1.6, and raised concerns about the lack of requirements to address overheating. The RACP drew attention to the health, social and economic benefits of insulation.
Description
The RACP submitted to Pharmac | Te Pātaka Whaioranga and Medsafe to support the proposed change in regulatory and funding restrictions to improve ongoing access to care for ADHD, provided that this is balanced with carefully considered models of care focusing on patient safety.
Description
The RACP and its Western Australian Committee are committed to advocating for the development of policies that are based on evidence, informed by the knowledge and expertise of physicians, and that benefit the health of Western Australians and the WA healthcare system.
Description
The RACP is concerned about the lack of focus on health throughout the BPS 2025, as well as no mention of climate change and no clear consideration of the Government’s obligations under te Tiriti o Waitangi. The RACP calls for the BPS to provide more detail on how it will strategically invest across multiple budgets to address the societal factors that affect health. The RACP asks that the Government continues to support labour intensive services and public health as a specialist service. The College supports the additional funding to Pharmac, including up to 26 cancer treatments.
