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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Topic
RACP recommendations
Description
This submission provides input into the Tasmanian House of Assembly Government Administration Committee B’s inquiry into the assessment and treatment of ADHD and support services. The submission focuses on access to ADHD diagnosis, access to supports following assessment, workforce availability and training, ongoing management of patients with ADHD, and regulations regarding access to ADHD medications. The submission is based on member feedback and existing College positions.
Topic
RACP recommendations
Description
This RACP submission to the Medical Board of Australia’s consultation on health checks for late career doctors responded to the Board’s proposal to introduce health checks for medical practitioners over the age of 70. It urges the Board to balance its proposal to introduce health checks with adverse impacts on medical workforce supply, demand and patient access to care. It also encourages the Board to engage further with the RACP, its faculties, chapters and specialty societies on fit-for-purpose, tailored and appropriate health check approaches for specific physician and specialist scopes of practice.
Topic
RACP recommendations
Description
The RACP submitted to Pharmac to support its proposal to remove the renewal criteria for stimulants methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and modafinil from 1 December 2024. This proposal has the potential to remove barriers to ongoing treatment and management of ADHD and narcolepsy in terms of costs and waiting times and may relieve workforce pressures.
Published in
Qld, Australia
Description
The RACP and its Queensland 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 Queenslanders and the Queensland healthcare system.
Topic
RACP recommendations
Description
The RACP submitted to the Health Select Committee in Aotearoa NZ to support the proposals of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) aimed at preventing vaping uptake among young “never” smokers including a ban on disposable vapes, significant increases in fines for sales to under 18s and proposed visibility / proximity restrictions on retail outlets. RACP noted enforcement capability will be crucial to ensure implementation of these restrictions.
Description
The Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) provided feedback to the Australasian Health Infrastructure Alliance on the draft version of the Australasian Health Facilities Guideline (AusHFG) 610 Subacute Care. AFRM is confident their comments will contribute to developing robust planning and design guidelines for subacute care, including rehabilitation care.
Description
Since the launch of the Australian Disability Strategy (ADS) in 2021, significant developments, including the findings of the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review, have reshaped the landscape, necessitating a fresh perspective. The RACP hopes that its 2024 review of the ADS, highlighted in this submission, addresses important healthcare gaps for people living with disability, their families, and their carers.
Description
This RACP submission provides feedback on the draft Thrive by Five Early Childhood Guarantee Bill 2024 (draft Bill). The RACP supports the principles and intent of the draft Bill and its aim to create a universally accessible early childhood development system for all Australian children. An early childhood development system that encapsulates high-quality essential services, such as antenatal care, targeted nurse home visiting and parenting programmes, as well as early childhood education and care (ECEC), is critical to improving the health and wellbeing of all children and their families.
Description
The RACP provided feedback to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee on the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill. The Bill establishes a new regulatory framework to implement a compulsory random roadside oral fluid (OF) testing regime to address drug-impaired driving. While the RACP supported the harm reduction intentions of the Bill, members were concerned that a punitive approach might lead to a reduction in funding for essential prevention, impairment information, and research. Recommendations included investing in health-focused initiatives that provide reliable impairment information, addressing the potential for racial bias by removing the provision for random searches, and considering the use of medical certificates for drivers.
Description
The RACP made a submission to the Medical Board of Australia’s consultation on the draft revised registration standard – specialist registration. In summary, the RACP has concerns regarding the maintenance of quality and safety standards if formal assessment by specialist medical colleges is removed as proposed. The RACP Overseas Trained Physician assessment process already provides an efficient, holistic, transparent, procedurally fair and safety focused approach that extends well beyond a desk-top checking of qualifications. The RACP strongly advocates for continued responsibility for critical elements of the assessment process including recognition of qualifications, training, assessment and experience against the standard of an RACP specialist as well as supervision/work-based assessment. It is also noted that the proposed model also risks creating a disconnect between some of the most vulnerable specialists and the specialist medical colleges that exist to support them.
