Advocacy

Inquiry into Long COVID and Repeated COVID Infections

Following a referral on 1 September 2022 from the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP, the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport launched an inquiry into and report on Long COVID and Repeated COVID Infections.

Submissions for this inquiry closed on 18 November 2022.

People and organisations interested in making a submission were asked to respond directly to at least one of the inquiry terms of reference.

1. The patient experience in Australia of long COVID and/or repeated COVID infections, particularly diagnosis and treatment;

2. The experience of healthcare services providers supporting patients with long COVID and/or repeated COVID infections;

3. Research into the potential and known effects, causes, risk factors, prevalence, management, and treatment of long COVID and/or repeated COVID infections in Australia;

4. The health, social, educational and economic impacts in Australia on individuals who develop long COVID and/or have repeated COVID infections, their families, and the broader community, including for groups that face a greater risk of serious illness due to factors such as age, existing health conditions, disability and background;

5. The impact of long COVID and/or repeated COVID infections on Australia’s overall health system, particularly in relation to deferred treatment, reduced health screening, postponed elective surgery, and increased risk of various conditions including cardiovascular, neurological and immunological conditions in the general population; and

6. Best practice responses regarding the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of long COVID and/or repeated COVID infections, both in Australia and internationally.

acnem has made a submission to this inquiry.

You can read it HERE

Or Visit the Long COVID Parliament of Australia Submissions HERE

Biotoxins (indoor damp and mould) Clinical Pathway consultation

acnem is pleased to have been asked by the Department of Health and Aged Care to participate in the consultation process on the Biotoxins(indoor damp and mould) Clinical Pathway. We are not able to share many details of the consultation teams, as it is a closed consultation process, we can however note:

• The consultation will be looking at the development of evidence-based Clinical Guidance to support decision-making for general practitioner and other medical professionals for the management of patients with biotoxin-related illnesses

Our advice was sought on the draft Biotoxins (indoor damp and mould) Clinical Pathway (Draft Clinical Pathway) via key consultation questions in an online survey – responses were due by 11^th November 2022

The Draft Clinical Pathway was developed in consultation with the Biotoxins-related Illnesses Advisory Committee (BIAC) which comprises members from a range of allied health and specialist medical fields, as well as consumer representatives

The finished product is intended to be used by general practitioners and other medical professionals to support decision-making for the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients with biotoxin-related illnesses and symptoms that cannot be attributed to another diagnosable condition.

We are proud to be able to have input into this document and hope that we can share more with you in coming months.

WE can share the following from our ‘submission’:

In September, acnem and AIMA joined forces to send an open letter to the ministers of health in Australian and New Zealand asking them to embed an integrative medicine approach into our national health policies. Our letter included signatures from over 200 doctors and more than 400 health practitioners. We will keep you updated on any further communications and outcomes from this.

In September, acnem provided a submission for this consultation paper, which is a key pillar that will help shape Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan. Read our submission here.

In September, acnem lodged two submissions to support Mind Medicine Australia’s applications for the rescheduling of medicinal psilocybin and medicinal MDMA as part of therapy. Read our submissions here: Application to reschedule Medicinal Psilocybin and Application to reschedule Medicinal MDMA.

In January, acnem provided a submission to the Senate inquiry into the current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia. The Senate Community Affairs References Committee will be reporting on this by 26 February. Review acnem’s submission.

In 2019, acnem provided a submission to the Medical Board of Australia for its public consultation on clearer regulation of medical practitioners who provide complementary and unconventional medicine and emerging treatments. We will share any findings or outcomes from the Medical Board of Australia on this consultation as soon as they are released. Review acnem’s submission.

Update 16th February 2021: Congratulations to everyone who made their voices heard in submissions to the MBAs draft guidelines in 2019! This is a huge win both for the protection of patient choice and access and for the acknowledgement of the amazing work of nutritional, environmental and integrative doctors and allied health professionals throughout Australia.

The Medical Board of Australia noted that it will not change the existing professional standards framework in relation to patients seeking care from medical practitioners who provide complementary and unconventional medicine and emerging treatments.

The Board will not issue guidelines on ‘complementary and unconventional medicine and emerging treatments’ and will continue to rely on the existing standards framework set out in Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia. The code includes guidance on patient assessment, basing clinical decisions on the best available information and considering the balance of benefit and harm, and informed consent.

The Board received more than 13,000 submissions to its consultation on options for clearer regulation of medical practitioners who provide complementary and unconventional medicine and emerging treatments.

The consultation, open for six months in 2019, sought feedback about whether additional safeguards were needed for patients receiving care from medical practitioners who provide complementary and unconventional medicine and emerging treatments. It looked at options to best protect patients and minimise the risk of harm to them, without stifling innovation, making a judgement about specific clinical practices or limiting patients’ right to choose their healthcare.