List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

5.15

The committee recommends that the Department of Health, in consultation with Australia's thalidomide survivors, establish an inter-departmental working group with a view to:

facilitating easier access to existing Australian Government payments and services; and

conducting or commissioning additional research about the health and other needs of thalidomide survivors in Australia.

Recommendation 2

5.17

The committee recommends that a contact point for thalidomide survivors should be established in the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services and the National Disability Insurance Agency.

Recommendation 3

5.20

The committee recommends that the Department of Health work with the relevant professional colleges to identify Australian health practitioners who have, or are prepared to acquire, expertise in treating thalidomide injuries.

Recommendation 4

5.22

The committee recommends that if adequate relevant expertise does not exist in Australia, the Department of Health work with professional colleges to ensure appropriate funding assistance is available to enable specialists to learn from international experts who already treat thalidomide survivors.

Recommendation 5

5.24

The committee recommends that the Department of Health conduct a survey of the health of Australia's thalidomide survivors to serve as a baseline assessment for future reference.

Recommendation 6

5.28

The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency create a guide to assessing and planning appropriate supports for thalidomide survivors.

Recommendation 7

5.31

The committee recommends that the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine take steps to raise awareness of thalidomide and thalidomide injuries, including by incorporating a module on thalidomide injuries in their next round of Continuing Professional Development.

Recommendation 8

5.38

The committee recommends that the Senate extend the date for the presentation of the final report for this inquiry to 22 March 2019.

| Contents |