Reimagining Better Healthcare

Distrust in AI, low technological interoperability, workforce burnout, and fragmented or limited access to care are the key barriers to achieving a more human and flexible healthcare system, according to a new global study by GE HealthCare.

Two hundred and fifty New Zealand clinicians and 550 New Zealand patients shared their insights in the first-of-its-kind global study that amplifies 7,500 patient and clinician voices seeking to understand the trends and barriers to creating a better healthcare system.

The GE HealthCare – Reimagining Better Health report canvassed respondents from seven countries, including Brazil, China, Germany, India, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the USA, to understand what clinicians and patients value, what their expectations are and how they see the future of healthcare.

New Zealand clinicians were unanimous in their vision for the country's system, completely or somewhat agreeing that the future hinges on the following:

• Patients and care teams are more intimately linked in a technology partnership.

• Patient care and medical treatment occur both within and outside traditional clinical environments, such as in the home.

Urgent Action Needed for Aged Care Workers

Australia | Over a month has passed since the Federal Budget announced a commendable $11.3 billion commitment to providing a 15 percent pay raise for aged care workers. However, those in non-direct care positions continue to languish in uncertainty. Stage 3 of the Fair Work Commission Tribunal, responsible for assessing these excluded employees, could be delayed for up to twelve months.

As an ardent advocate for positive reform in the aged care

• The healthcare ecosystem is expanding to include a more varied range of healthcare workers, some of which may not be present today.

Amit Yadav, Chief Executive Officer Australia and New Zealand, GE HealthCare, said the study found overwhelmingly that healthcare experiences, which are more human, flexible and focused on the needs of both clinicians and patients, should be a top priority.

"The Reimagining Better Healthcare study revealed that clinicians and patients share many of the same fundamental values and expectations regardless of country, healthcare model, clinical role, experience or demographics," said Yadav.

READ MORE ONLINE HERE sector, Chris Mamarelis, CEO of Whiddon, emphasises the need for expediting the timing of the Stage 3 Work Value Hearing. As a regional aged care provider, Whiddon relies on these excluded workers, who constitute 26 percent of their current workforce.

The aged care employees excluded from the 15 percent pay increase play a vital role in delivering quality care. Excluding them from the funding is detrimental and leaves them uncertain about their wages. This exclusion affects nearly 20 percent of the total care workforce in the industry, thus underscoring the gravity of the issue. The Government's 2020 Aged Care Workforce Census reveals that 52,801 individuals work in ancillary roles such as cooks, cleaners, and laundry assistants, constituting just under 20 percent of the care workforce excluded from the 15 percent pay raise. As a regional aged care provider, Whiddon sees these exclusions affect 26 percent of their current workforce.

The Fair Work Commission Tribunal conducts the Work Value Case in three stages. Stages 1 and 2 were completed earlier this year, confirming the 15 percent increase in the modern award rates for the included employees. The increase is set to take effect from the first full pay period after June 30, 2023, and has been widely welcomed by the sector. However, Stage 3, assessing the excluded employees, has faced significant delays, potentially lasting up to twelve months.

READ MORE ONLINE HERE

New Appointment

Pedro Sánchez has been appointed Managing Director of Bupa Villages and Aged Care business in New Zealand. Joining the New Zealand business today and taking over from Interim Managing Director Julie Sellar, Pedro was previously General Manager of Sanitas Mayores SL, Bupa’s residences and aged care business in Spain.

Sánchez joined Sanitas as Operations Director in 2006, becoming General Manager of Sanitas Mayores in January 2021, growing the care home business to a portfolio of 43 care homes and 15 daycare centres.

Bupa APAC Chief Executive Officer Nick Stone said, “It’s fantastic to have Pedro joining our New Zealand business. He has deep knowledge of the aged care sector and has played an integral role in driving Sanitas Mayores’ success over the last 17 years.

“His significant experience in delivering excellence in resident care and increasing the role of digital technology in the provision of aged care will benefit our business greatly and help build on the momentum created by our New Zealand team,” he said.

“I’m excited to be joining Bupa New Zealand. After a challenging few years dealing with covid and workforce uncertainties, I am confident the business is well positioned for future success," said Sánchez.

“I know already that our nurses, carers and support workers in our New Zealand care homes and villages deliver exceptional care to our residents. I’ve seen it first hand and see immense potential for Bupa to invest in technology, deliver greater service to our Kiwi residents, and make a real difference to people’s lives,” he said.

With Sánchez assuming the role of Managing Director for Bupa New Zealand in June, Interim Managing Director Julie Sellar takes up the role of Deputy Managing Director in the New Zealand business.

“I am extremely grateful to Julie for her dedication and commitment to leading our New Zealand business since August last year. Over that time, she’s faced into various challenges, a global pandemic and natural disasters, with the business emerging stronger as a result of her leadership,” he said

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Legislation Outdated and Unfit for Purpose

Retirement village legislation is at risk of becoming outdated and unfit for purpose, requiring urgent review to eliminate unfair contract terms and better protect consumers' rights.

The CFFC has released a report and recommendations following public consultation on a discussion paper studying the effects of the complex legal framework governing the retirement village sector.

Nearly 3300 submissions were received, with most from individuals and the Retirement Village Residents’ Association; others came from operators and other stakeholders, including lawyers, supervisors, and consumer advocates.

“Retirement villages provide an attractive option for some older New Zealanders, and they are well-marketed. However, in the 20 years since the legislative framework was established, there has been no review to assess whether the balance of power between operator and consumer is appropriate,” said Wrightson.

“We found competing tensions that are unresolved, and recommend a full review of the framework be carried out urgently.”

Submissions backed up concerns expressed in the CFFC’s paper regarding the resale process, weekly fees charged after a resident vacates a unit, flaws in an overly complicated complaints system, confusing documentation, and the tricky interface between village and care facilities.

“These issues are important because it is difficult to leave a village once contracts are signed. Residents are neither owners nor tenants, and their consumer protections are limited,” said Wrightson.

“It is therefore important that fit-for-purpose legislative protections are in place.”

Almost all individual submitters, the residents’ association and a large majority of other stakeholders, including the New Zealand Law Society, supported a full review of the regulatory framework.

Operators and the Retirement Villages Association (RVA) did not support a regulatory review but agreed some areas might need improvement. These are related to improving disclosure for entering a village and transferring to care. There was general agreement that the resale process should be reviewed to ensure better disclosure, but no consensus on legislating specific changes. Some operators agreed on the ongoing payment of weekly fees after a resident exits a village needed to be looked at, with a view to setting limits. There was also consensus that more needed to be done to clarify responsibility for repairs and maintenance of chattels in individual village units.

“However, the wide-ranging concerns expressed in the individual submissions, and those of other stakeholders, suggest that focussing only on these limited areas is not sufficient to ensure a fair and balanced regulatory environment,” said Wrightson.

The RVA recently offered to look at improvements in a few areas in a “blueprint” created in response to the CFFC review. Although the CFFC welcomed and encouraged the best practice approaches suggested in the blueprint, these measures should be considered an interim step.

“We do not believe they are sufficient in scope or impact to circumvent the need for a full review. The retirement village sector is growing, and if the Government does not review the regulatory framework now, New Zealand runs the risk of ending up with a weak framework that does not properly protect older consumers and their families.”

The CFFC has offered to assist in drawing up the Terms of Reference for the review and support the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in undertaking it.

In the meantime, Wrightson said there were some areas where work could be carried out by the CFFC and the retirement village sector to ensure better outcomes in the short term while a review took place. These “interim recommendations” included a review of contracts to identify and remove unfair terms, the appointment of an RVA Disciplinary Authority to deal with serious complaints about operator behaviour, and the supply of data to the CFFC regarding resale times and the processes villages follow in terminating financial charges after exit. This would provide insights into which operators were following best practices, and where there were issues that may require further investigation.

“Through its monitoring and oversight function, the CFFC has raised many of the issues covered in the discussion paper in previous years. Change has been slow, and the submissions we received confirm that many important issues remain unresolved and problematic,” says Wrightson.

“A piecemeal approach to change is insufficient. The industry has grown in scope and complexity since the framework was drawn up, yet it is still young. In the interests of both consumers and operators, it’s time the balance was reset.”

Major Changes to Rebuild

Australia | The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) applauds two significant achievements to rebuild the aged care sector, which will come into effect on 1 July 2023. Legislation to implement Registered Nurse (RN) 24/7 comes into operation, and historic wage increases following the Aged Care Work Value decision will start to flow through to nurses and carers in the sector.

These critical measures will go a long way in rebuilding the aged care sector and will help deliver improved care outcomes for elderly residents living in nursing homes.

As the country’s largest union, the ANMF and its members have long campaigned for better, safe staffing levels in aged care, in line with the key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

ANMF A/Federal Secretary Lori-Anne Sharp said the legislated requirements for an RN to be rostered in a nursing home 24/7, along with $11.3 billion in Federal Government funding for pay increases for nurses and carers, provides hope that meaningful and long-awaited change is beginning.

“This is a day where we can pause for a moment to celebrate the extraordinary efforts of ANMF members in the fight over decades for safe staffing and better pay. We hope that aged care nurses and carers will have a little more spring in their step as they see these results roll out,” said Sharp.

Historically, persistently low wages, chronic, dangerous understaffing and other poor working conditions have resulted in an exodus of qualified nurses and aged care workers, making it extremely difficult to attract qualified staff to the sector.

“This is the first time in over 20 years that a Government has shown that it truly values aged care nurses and care workers and, in doing so, the people they care for.

“The Government has assured the ANMF that it is funding a pay increase for all eligible workers in aged care to recognise the incredibly important work nurses and care workers do each and every day, caring for older people across the country.

“The ANMF has worked and will continue to work with the Government to develop clear guidelines for the process of passing on the funding in full as wage increases. We will also continue to work with the Government on accountability and transparency for the taxpayer funding dedicated to wage increases to ensure it is used solely for its intended purpose – long overdue and very well-deserved wage increases for aged care workers. READ