Aged care reform is taking too long and Minister Butler has been given a push by the Australian Nursing Federation to get on with it.
“The Government has the Productivity Commission report Caring for Older Australians and the time for talking is over but Minister Butler is engaged on another round of ‘conversations’,” said Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Shadow Minister for Ageing and Shadow Minister for Mental Health.
“No wonder the sector has review fatigue.
“I congratulate the Australian Nursing Federation’s federal secretary Lee Thomas in expressing her union’s extreme frustration.
“It is something the Coalition and the aged care sector share with them.
“Pressed at Senate Estimates the Department of Health and Ageing and the Government refused to give a firm any commitment on its response to the Productivity Commission report.
“The union has given Minister Butler and the Government an absolute deadline of the 2012 budget to deliver on aged care workforce issues.
“The Coalition would be pleased to see reform right across aged care long before that, but will not be holding its breath.”