Call for health reform for Australians

The RACP has made a case for constructive health reform in its healthcare recommendations to the Federal Government ahead of its Budget preparation. The fundamental message of the RACP's 2020-2021 Pre-Budget submission is that more needs to be done to address health reform to better connect parts of the health system and address significant gaps in care. Key areas are:

• prevention strategies on obesity
• prevention of alcohol-related harms
• early intervention in mental and physical health of infants and children
• more integrated approaches to care
• fundamental reform and redesign of the aged care system.

Towards a better new normal in the time of COVID-19

The ongoing global pandemic has confronted the Australian Government and Australians more broadly with a unique and wide-ranging set of public health and socioeconomic challenges which will reverberate well into the future.

As the Australian Government prepares to deliver its decisive COVID-era budget, the RACP suggests that these ambitious but essential goals can be achieved by investing judiciously in:

• telehealth and digital health
• residential care (including aged and disability accommodation)
• health system preparedness and protection of healthcare workers
• prevention
• funding for specific groups.

These recommendations are meant as a supplement and amplification of the comprehensive 2020-21 Pre-Budget Submission released by the College in December 2019.

Download 2020-2021 Pre-Budget Update