The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission rejects claims in today’s The Australian newspaper that the Commission did not act appropriately in relation to Victorian aged care providers that failed to meet required safety standards during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in that state.

Commissioner Janet Anderson PSM said the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission had used the full range of its regulatory powers where there was an immediate and severe risk to care recipients as a result of the outbreak.

She said it was incorrect to claim that because no sanctions had been issued that the Commission had failed in its regulatory obligations.

Ms Anderson said: “The Australian newspaper has misconstrued the nature of the 18 Notices to Agree (NTA) that the Commission issued in Victoria from July to September 2020.

“In fact, the NTAs issued by the Commission contain all the provisions of sanctions and had greater enforceability because a provider’s failure to agree had more serious consequences and could directly result in the revocation of approval to provide Commonwealth-funded aged care.”

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s Sector Performance Report for July-September 2020 highlights the Commission’s focus on containing COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care facilities, including by stepping up infection control monitoring spot checks.

The Sector Performance Report for July-September 2020.

Aged care providers in Australia are regulated by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. The Commission’s statutory role is to hold providers to account for the quality and safety of the care they provide to older Australians and to ensure that the care delivered complies with the Aged Care Quality Standards and Principles under the Aged Care Act.

Media enquiries: media@agedcarequality.gov.au