Policy & Advocacy Report Q1 2024

The Policy & Advocacy Report outlines some of the key priorities and achievements for Q1 2024 (January to March).

Read report

The highlights include:

• First Nations: Dr Kimberley Male, appointed Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee.
• Pre-Federal Budget submission: The RACP’s pre-budget advocacy covered a range of key workforce, access to care, health reform and preventative health issues.
• Telehealth advocacy: Dr Jacqueline Small, former President, spoke to radio outlets advocating for the reinstatement of a full suite of telehealth MBS items following the RACP’s media release. The Hon Kirsty McBain, Minister for Regional Development, acknowledged the relevance of the College’s telehealth advocacy to regional patients.
• Climate change: The RACP released a climate-focused pre-budget media release, which received significant media coverage including an ABC breakfast interview. 
• Adolescent and young adult medicine: Two successful meetings held for the RACP’s first Youth Advisory Group, which has been established to support the development of the new RACP position statement on Youth Appropriate Health Care.
• Medication shortages: The RACP provided a submission to a key TGA consultation on the management of medicine shortages in Australia.
• Tasmanian election statement: The Tasmanian Committee developed an election statement calling on political leaders in Tasmania to commit to a range of priorities. The RACP reached out to all 3 political parties, all of whom affirmed our asks.
• Silicosis: widespread media coverage following the publication of the RACP media release calling on the New Zealand Government to follow Australia’s lead to ban engineered stone and support workers already exposed to silica dust.
• Evolve: The RACP attended the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science (TSANZSRS) Annual Scientific Meeting to promote the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) Evolve low-value care recommendations.