CHF is pleased to present this submission to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into the Social and Economic Benefits of Improving Mental Health. Our submission is structured around the questions in the Commission’s Issues Paper. We make some general comments on the overall scope of the inquiry and offer specific comments in ten key areas. We devote much of our commentary to the structural weaknesses in healthcare and to the major issues for our constituency: physical and mental health comorbidity and the management of multimorbidity. We consider the lived experience feedback received in response to our survey. Our chief recommendation is that all of the recommendations in the Contributing Lives, Thriving Communities report by the National Mental Health Commission be implemented.
Response to the Productivity Commission Issues Paper for ‘The Social and Economic Benefits of Improving Mental Health’
Rural and Remote Health Special Interest Group - General Purpose and Operation of the Group
Making Health Better: Priorities for the 2019 Federal Election
It is time for the health and social care system to innovate and improve at pace and do so with consumer and community insights deep at the heart of driving change.
In our Election Priorities, CHF focuses on critical areas for action that will move Australia towards a modern and sustainable health system that provides consumer choice and empowerment, supported by innovation, emerging evidence, and best practice.
To achieve this and move towards a consumer-focused and sustainable health system, CHF calls for our political leaders to act in eight key areas.
Youth Health Forum Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health
Throughout their response to the Productivity Commission's Inquiry into Mental Health, you will read the stories of members of the Youth Health Forum sharing their personal experiences with mental ill-health. Though their names have been changed for privacy, these are the real stories of real Australians whose lives are profoundly impacted by these lived experiences. This includes the struggles they have faced with the health sector and the failing safety net of social support. The Youth Health Forum believes in the importance of lived experience, in partnership with evidence based research, to inform and provide context for how mental health and mental health policy and governance impacts the lives of real Australians.
Based on the feedback and identification of priority areas by the Youth Health Forum, this submission will discuss, and make recommendations regarding Barriers to Access, Social Participation and Inclusion, and Service Reform within the context of the scope of the inquiry.
Webinar Slides - Budget 2019
Watch the webinar here. CEO Leanne Wells and Policy Manager Jo Root discuss the CHF analysis of the 2018 Health Budget and its implications for consumers.
Uluru Statement from the Heart
Read the full position here. We support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ right to be listened to in the Australian Parliament and acknowledged in the Australian Constitution
The Consumers Health Forum believes all Australians deserve to have a say in the issues affecting them and that genuine consultation and partnership lead to successful outcomes and solutions. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have consistently reminded us that they are best placed to address the current situation facing their families and communities.
A national survey recently found over 70 per cent of respondents support constitutional recognition and 60.7 per cent supporting the Voice to Parliament proposal. The Uluru Statement from the Heart has received unmatched, collective support from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We strongly urge governments to listen to the Australian people and acknowledge the historical and ongoing lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the constitution and prioritise genuine consultation in the Australian Parliament.
Recognition at the highest levels of leadership followed by an ongoing commitment to a genuine partnership will be central in reshaping and strengthening Australia’s national identity and enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to flourish.
CHF Response to the RACGP White Paper: Vision for general practice and a sustainable healthcare system
Response to the Draft National Action Plan for the Health of Children and Young People
Overall CHF supports the recommended priorities and actions and welcomes the commitment to further consultation with children, families and young people as implementation plans are developed and operationalised. We welcome ARACY’s proposed life course approach: it is important that the plan gives attention to both early childhood, adolescent and young adulthood health priorities. We note the recognition of CHF’s Youth Forum as a key platform for engagement.
One of our key concerns is that primary care and prevention have not been adequately addressed, despite existing data on childhood obesity and poor oral and dental health being referenced and despite the general practice and primary care being a key setting for intervention both planned and opportunistic. We know that these conditions are linked to poor health and social outcomes, and are overrepresented in the priority groups identified. As it stands, this is a major deficit in the Plan. CHF suggests an additional Priority Area – Access to primary care and prevention services – incorporating measures that address oral/dental health; prevention of childhood obesity; integrated models of care that benefit to children and young people such as patient and family centred health care homes; and support for young consumers to navigate and access the health system.
CHF Submission to the Tobacco Legislation Review
We are pleased to provide a submission supporting the continuation and strengthening of the Tobacco Control Regulations in Australia. Since the introduction of the Tobacco Control Regulations in the early 1990s, Australia has taken significant steps to reduce smoking and minimise the long-term health risks associated with tobacco. Prevention and cessation of smoking has been a remarkable public health achievement in Australia, which CHF believes is attributed to the regulatory and population based approach of the Tobacco Control Regulations. Despite the progress that has been made, 1 in 8 Australians still smoke daily, over 15,000 Australians die from tobacco-related causes each year, and an estimated 20% of the nation’s cancer deaths each year is caused by smoking. At a minimum, we recommend maintaining current regulations such as mandatory health warnings and would strongly encourage renewed efforts to stop and reduce tobacco smoking and for this review to ensure regulations and compliance processes are future-proofed.