Annual reports of Commonwealth entities
Health Portfolio
Australian Aged
Care Quality Agency
2.2
The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA) is established under the
Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013 to hold aged care providers to
account.
Tabling of the report
2.3
The committee notes the Department of Finance's expectation that annual
reports will be tabled in Parliament not later than 31 October.[1]
AACQA received an extension to the annual reporting date under section 46 of
the PGPA Act, initially to 4 November 2016 and then to 12 December 2016.[2]
These extensions were granted under paragraph 34C(5) of the Acts
Interpretation Act 1901. AACQA's report was not available in time for examination
at Supplementary Estimates 2015–16.
Report
2.4
AACQA produced an informative, well-presented, and accessible annual report
which highlights the agency's key results in 2015–16, including: 4251 visits to
residential aged care facilities; 1029 quality reviews and assessment contacts;
and interviewing over 50 000 aged care recipients and their representatives.[3]
2.5
The committee commends AACQA on the positive results achieved in
2015–16 which directly support AACQA's statutory responsibilities. AACQA exceeded
its target for the number of aged care homes audited for re-accreditation;
exceeded its target for the percentage of aged care homes that complied with
Accreditation Standards at the last accreditation audit; and met its 100 per
cent target for site audits completed within statutory timeframes.[4]
2.6
AACQA reported some major financial variances, i.e. greater than, or
equal to 10 per cent of the line item, between the agency's budget estimates
and actual expenditure and asset position. AACQA provided explanations for the
variances across the affected areas which were: employee expenses; supplier
expenditure; capital project expenditure; and own source income.[5]
The committee notes that AACQA delivered its services for 1.1 per cent lower
than the original budget.[6]
2.7
The committee considers that the AACQA annual report for 2015–16 meets
the requirements under the PGPA Act and Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013.
The report is of an apparently satisfactory standard.
2.8
The committee considers that the annual reporting requirements for AACQA
under the PGPA Act and Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013 were met and
that the AACQA annual report for 2015-16 is of an apparently satisfactory
standard.
National Health Performance Authority
2.9
The National Health Performance Authority (NHPA) was a corporate
Commonwealth entity established under the National Health Reform Amendments
(National Health Performance Authority) Act 2011, to develop high quality
reports on the performance of hospitals, primary health organisations and
service providers.[7]
2.10
NHPA was abolished on 30 June 2017 and its performance functions transferred
to the: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; Australian Commission of
Safety and Quality in Health Care; and the Department of Health (DOH).[8]
Tabling of the report
2.11
Subparagraph 102(1)(h)(i) of the PGPA Act provides that for a
Commonwealth entity which ceases to exist, the preparation of the final report
for the entity is transferred to another Commonwealth entity. Under Division 4 of
Schedule 7 of the Budget Saving (Omnibus) Act 2016 the DOH was charged
with preparing the final report of NHPA. The final report for NHPA was tabled
in Parliament on
30 March 2017.[9]
Report
2.12
NHPA's final report is strikes an appropriate balance between the
agency's reporting requirements under section 17BE of the PGPA and providing
information on matters regarding the Australian health sector.
2.13
During 2015–16, NHPA produced eight reports on critical health sector
related matters, including reports which examined Australians experience with
accessing health care in 2013–14 and immunisations rates for children in
2014–15. These reports attracted significant attention from the public and the
media.[10]
2.14
The report appears to meet the publishing standards for the presentation
of annual reports stipulated by the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet's Guidelines for the Presentation of Documents to the Parliament.[11]
2.15
The committee considers that NHPA's final report meets the reporting
requirements of the PGPA Act and is of an apparently satisfactory standard.
Senator Slade Brockman
Chair
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