The Department of Health and Aged Care (Department) asked for your views and input on the draft aim, outcomes and actions in the consultation draft Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan (the Plan). The draft Plan was released for stakeholder feedback from 19 December 2022 to 10 February 2023.
Targeted meetings were also held during this time to seek feedback from stakeholder organisations. Yarning circles and a consumer focus group were also held to test the actions within the draft Plan to ensure they are realistic, implementable and well received by both First Nations peoples and consumers.
Feedback received during the consultation process is being used to refine and inform the final Plan.
In total, 215 submissions were received, comprising of 172 online survey responses, 25 written submissions via email, 15 targeted stakeholder meetings, 1 consumer focus group and 2 yarning circles.
The mix of responses from consumers, nurse practitioners, health professionals and organisations provided a comprehensive understanding of how the aim, outcomes and actions of the Plan were received. Feedback on improving the draft Plan was constructive with suggestions to refine language and review the action’s timeline. Whilst many responses were focused on the barriers to nurse practitioners providing care, the Department received useful suggestions for refining the draft Plan.
The Department undertook analysis of the online submissions (including survey and written responses) using the Citizen Space application in February 2023. The data from online and written submissions was further analysed simultaneously with stakeholder feedback from meetings, yarning circles and focus groups. This involved coding the qualitative responses for feedback on key themes and creation of analysis notes to further refine the consultation draft.
Stakeholder feedback captured is being used to refine the Plan and ensure the actions address key nurse practitioner workforce challenges. Suggestions proposed during this round of consultation will be considered by the Nurse Practitioner Steering Committee and used to develop a final version of the Plan for approval by Government.
The department asked for feedback about the core capabilities to support the Intellectual Disability Health Capability Framework (framework) in an open consultation from 22 November 2022 – 27 January 2023. The proposed framework for consultation included the following capabilities:
We asked whether people thought the framework and the core capabilities address the key areas for health students’ knowledge and practice. We also asked people to comment on the content and detail covered by each of the six capabilities.
Ninety-three submissions to the open consultation were received from a range of stakeholders including individuals, health services, peak bodies, education providers, and groups representing and serving those with intellectual disabilities. A breakdown of responses is as follows:
The results showed that overall, 77% of respondents agreed that the capability areas capture the key capabilities. The level of agreement by specific capability area ranged from 63% (Intellectual Disability Awareness) to 74% (Responsible, Safe and Ethical Practice). Submissions also proposed changes to terminology, and identified gaps in capabilities, areas where more emphasis was required, and clarification was needed. Feedback also identified potential learning outcomes and implementation ideas for the framework.
Feedback has been recorded and will be used to futher develop the framework. All submissions have been reviewed and amendments have been made to capabilities as appropriate. The following significant changes were made:
The addition of two new capabilities
Key wording changes
Following the open consultation process, a modified Delphi method will be conducted with key stakeholders to reach consensus on the core capabilities. A futher public consultation will be undertaken in September 2023 to seek feedback on the draft framework document.
We appreciate all the interest and expertise shared throughout the consultation phase and thank all stakeholders who prepared a submission.
The department asked for your views and input on the Review of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (the Review). The Review was released for written stakeholder feedback from 6 April 2022 to 17 June 2022.
18 submissions were received from a range of stakeholders including peak health bodies, advocacy organisations, First Nations health care services and state government organisations. The submissions were broadly supportive of the Review findings.
Where appropriate, feedback provided on the Review has been considered to inform Program activities and enhancements.
A summary of the Review’s Findings and Program Reform Actions is provided in the below table.
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Review Finding |
Program Reform Actions |
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1 |
Consider feasibility of lowering screening entry age to 40 or 45 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, coupled with scale up of the Alternative Pathway pilot for this group. |
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2 |
Review timing intervals for reminders with clinical input. |
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3 |
Consideration should be given to alternate forms of communication which do not require simultaneous availability of the participant follow-up function (PFUF) officer and recipient (e.g., email/SMS). |
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4 |
Support the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) with its implementation of the Colonoscopy Clinical Care Standard (CCCS) and monitor colonoscopy performance against colonoscopy quality standards. |
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5 |
Work with states and territories to pilot projects that reshape the PFUF role in line with innovative colonoscopy access models. |
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6 |
Engage with Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and professional bodies (e.g., The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians) to promote a comprehensive set of educational materials, which describe the NHMRC-approved clinical practice guidelines, the Program’s full alignment with biennial screening recommendations, and recent changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule item codes for colonoscopy. |
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7 |
Re-configure Program Delivery Advisory Group (PDAG) to include jurisdictional representatives that are able to provide operational advice on contextual issues related to colonoscopy access. |
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8 |
Promote the Program’s research priorities to external researchers. |
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9 |
Reset the working relationship with all stakeholders to ensure needs are being met in regard to the purpose of each group and expectations on information sharing. |
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10 |
Reconvene a working group with the goal of prioritising initiatives to address data gaps and agree on any required changes to the endorsed set of KPIs. This group should be set-up over the medium to long term to manage the stakeholder engagement, effort and time required to implement and oversee initiatives to address data gaps. |
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11 |
Improve visibility of the target population’s participation in other forms of bowel cancer screening, including via over-the-counter iFOBT kits or kits provided by clinicians. Identifying invitees in the target population deemed to be at higher risk for bowel cancer (who may be undergoing surveillance colonoscopies) would also allow a more accurate measure of the true Program participation rate. |
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12 |
Implement sustained and coordinated media and communications campaigns. Campaigns should be national in nature (across jurisdictional and cancer charities, where possible) to promote a coordinated message that minimises fragmentation and duplication of effort. |
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13 |
Use the primary care sector as a resource to promote participation through education and opportunistic provision of kits. GPs, practice nurses and pharmacists are well placed to promote and provide counselling regarding Program participation. |
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14 |
Consider piloting sample drop-off points. Trials of this nature should initially be targeted at people in regional areas due to their unique challenges in complying with the strict return postage requirements. |
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15 |
Scale up the Alternative Pathway pilot, as appropriate in other population groups. This includes other locations targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as exploration of how the pilot could be tailored to address access barriers faced by invitees from CALD backgrounds. |
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16 |
Explore utilisation of the NCSR to improve participation. This could include electronic reminders, streamlined processes for completion of personal details, access to in-language communications, as well as personalised invitations based on Program screening history and/or demographic factors. However, given phone/email contact information is unavailable for first-time screeners, mechanisms to collect this information from other government databases, such as MyGov, may be required. |
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17 |
Modify kit contents and accessories to mitigate common reasons for non-completion. This may include an action plan for completion contained in the kit instructions (to overcome the procrastination barrier), and/or provision of accessories such as an opaque bag for fridge storage (to overcome perceived hygiene concerns). |
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For your feedback on the goals, principles, and priority areas of the draft National Tobacco Strategy 2022-2030 (the Strategy). We appreciate the diverse perspectives, experiences and knowledge of all stakeholders and interested members of the community and their contribution to the final Strategy.
We received 515 submissions, from peak health bodies, businesses, academics, clinicians and members of the public. You said that reducing the rates of tobacco use in Australia is important, and the Strategy is key to informing how this is achieved. The Strategy must set the direction for future tobacco control activities in Australia.
All submissions are now available on the consultation page.
Reviewed and analysed the feedback to strengthen the Strategy. The new National Tobacco Strategy is expected to be finalised in 2023 pending endorsement from Commonwealth, state and territory governments.
For your views and input on the draft domains and capabilities in the draft National Rural and Remote Nurse Generalist Framework (the Framework), that describe the unique context of practice and core capabilities for remote area nursing practice, and rural nursing practice.
In 157 submissions, from peak health bodies, organisations, businesses and clinicians, that this Framework is significant for rural and remote area nursing, health services and the health of communities. There were a number of expert recommendations across various submissions, together with various commendations on the draft presented.
Review and analyse the feedback, which has strengthened the Framework. A report on the public consultation feedback is available on the consultation page. We appreciate the great insight and expertise shared with the Framework Steering Committee during this public consultation phase and anticipate the final Framework will be released in late 2022.
Between November 2021 and March 2022, the Department of Health and Aged Care conducted initial targeted consultations with the medicines sector about the potential to introduce a National Medicines Traceability Framework in Australia.
This initial round of consultation sought to:
We received 42 submissions from a cross section of stakeholders, including medicines sponsors, wholesalers, peak bodies (including consumer and clinical representatives), pharmacies, and state and territory organisations.
We have reviewed all submissions and the results are now available in the NMTF - Analysis of Consultation Survey Responses. Note, the questions that relate to each section of analysis are summarised in the report at the end of each page.
The results show:
In addition to these results, there are a range of other issues that require further detailed consultation, for example, impacts on patient privacy, data security, and the appropriate role of governments.
We will continue to consult with stakeholders as the NMTF policy recommendations are further developed. More opportunities for wider consultation on key elements of the framework will be available at a later date.
The Minister for Health has committed to development of a Nurse Practitioner 10 Year Plan (Plan). The purpose of the Plan is to describe a set of actions that can be taken to address nurse practitioner workforce issues, and enhance the delivery of nursing care to the Australian community.
As part of the development of the Plan the Department of Health sought the views of stakeholders from 19 November to 20 December 2021. The purpose of the consultation was to collect ideas from a wide range of stakeholders on their perspectives, experiences and knowledge of nurse practitioners (NP) and to identify benefits, barriers and workforce solutions to inform development of the Plan.
The total submissions received was 496 with 458 online survey responses and 38 written submissions via email. Of the online survey responses, 64% (295) of respondents completed the long-form and 36% (163) the short-form survey. Of the total submissions, 430 (87%) responded as an individual and 63 (13%) responded on behalf of an organisation or institution.
The high response rate received to this open consultation was welcomed and has highlighted the interest in this work. The mix of responses from consumers, nurse practitioners, health professionals and organisations provided a comprehensive picture of current NP workforce issues.
The Department reviewed and analysed all the responses received and prepared a consultation analysis report which will be used to inform development of the Plan.
For your feedback on the draft Healthy Food Partnership Serving Size Recommendations and example pages of the Industry Best Practice Guide (the Guide). The Guide aims to provide practical solutions to support the food industry to reduce the serving sizes. The Guide covers 11 discretionary foods and beverages for the retail and out of home sectors.
We received 27 submissions from food industry, public health organisations, academia, government and consumers. There was strong support for portion and serving size guidance as a public health measure. Practical and detailed feedback was provided on the individual categories and the design of the Guide. Useful feedback was also provided on the look and feel of the layout of the example pages and the usefulness of the included information.
We reviewed and considered the feedback provided and developed a Consultation Summary. The working group refined the serving sizes and tailored the content of the Guide. Among other changes, the title of the Guide was amended to the ‘Industry Guide to Voluntary Serving Size Reduction’.
The final Guide is now available on the Healthy Food Partnership website.
The Consultation Summary is available on the Consultation Hub and the Healthy Food Partnership website. Complete submissions will be published on the website (if consent to publish was granted by the respondent).
Between November 2020 and January 2021, the Department of Health sought feedback on the The Framework for the Collection, Release, Use and Publication of Voluntary Indigenous Identifier Data (VII Data Framework). Specifically, the Department asked:
Seven organisations and four individuals responded to the consultation including, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health authorities, doctor peak organisations, a nurses’ and mid-wives’ group and government agencies. Most respondents were satisfied with the VII Data Framework’s legal and ethical obligations, protections for Medicare and enrolment data, and access and release arrangements.
Specific feedback on the VII Data Framework include:
The Department appreciates all the feedback and thanks all respondents.
The Department has considered all responses, and these will be used to inform updates to the VII Data Framework.
For views and input across all sectors of the Australian community about a Lung Cancer Screening enquiry to investigate the feasibility of a national lung cancer screening program for people at high risk of lung cancer.
That many factors should be considered across many sectors of the Australian community and the health system. Public consultation submissions and input from stakeholders were detailed. Thank you for this feedback.
We considered all feedback and engaged a consultant to analyse and summarise consultation outcomes for consideration by the Minister for Health. The Lung Cancer Screening enquiry report will be submitted to the Minister for Health in October 2020.
Between November 2019 and February 2020, the national obesity strategy Working Group asked for feedback on a proposed framework and ideas to be included in a national obesity strategy.
On 31 August 2021, the Health Chief Executive Forum agreed to support public consultation on the draft national obesity strategy.
During September and October 2021, the national obesity strategy Working Group will be seeking feedback on the draft national obesity strategy from all stakeholders. We look forward to receiving your comments. Details of how you can provide feedback will be posted on this webpage in the coming weeks.
November 2019 - February 2020
Across the country, 604 Australians engaged in community events. In addition, 1,038 short-form and 342 long-form surveys were completed, and 35 stand-alone submissions were received. Some further targeted consultation was also progressed with three priority groups (people with disability, young people, older people).
Respondents proposed a range of ideas and suggestions for what could be included in a national obesity strategy, with most highly supportive of a comprehensive strategy. The feedback received is appreciated.
Consultants reviewed and analysed all the feedback received in the 2019/20 national public consultation and prepared consultation reports.
Despite the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic response, the national obesity strategy Working Group has considered all feedback and progressed the development of the national obesity strategy.
For written feedback, based on the Terms of Reference, for the independent review of nursing education - Educating the Nurse of the Future - by 30 June 2019.
We received 83 written submissions and these have now been published (scroll down to view).
Professor Steven Schwartz AM has now submitted the final report to Minister Hunt following completion of the Review. The report will be considered by government and a plan for public release will be developed. There is no fixed date for the release of the report available at this time.
For feedback on our tobacco control legislation to make sure that it is effective and fit for purpose.
Improvements could be made. Public consultation submissions and input from stakeholder workshops were detailed. Thank you for this feedback.
We considered all feedback and engaged a consultant to analyse and summarise consultation outcomes for Australian Government consideration (scroll down for the consultation summary). This feedback is being used to progress this legislative review.
In December 2018, we asked for feedback based on the Terms of Reference for the Review of the Quality Use of Medicines Program’s delivery by the National Prescribing Service (NPS MedicineWise).
54 external submissions were received and 26 external interviews were conducted. Submissions were detailed and highlighted the requirement for greater transparency, accountability and efficiency in the delivery of quality use of medicines programs. Thank you for this feedback.
Emeritus Professor Lloyd Sansom AO conducted the Review and a final report has been accepted by Minister Hunt. The public report and the Government’s response to the Review recommendations can be found at
https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/qum-nps-review
We are working with NPS MedicineWise to implement the Review’s recommendations.