3.5 External Liaison and Scrutiny

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In 2010-11, the department, through its Audit and Fraud Control unit, worked with the Australian National Audit Office, and provided responses to proposed audit findings and recommendations prior to the Auditor-General presenting his reports in Parliament.

The department also liaised with the Commonwealth Ombudsman on complaints relating to aspects of the department’s administrative activities.

Information on the Auditor-General’s reports and the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s complaints is set out below.

Australian National Audit Office

Audits Specific to the department

• Practice Incentives Program (Audit Report No.5 of 2010-11, tabled 15 September 2010)

The audit found that the department has been broadly effective in undertaking its responsibilities for the Practice Incentives Program planning, monitoring and review and, with Medicare Australia, has ensured delivery of a complex program to general practices and their medical practitioners. The Australian National Audit Office did however make three recommendations to improve the department’s ability to inform program development decision-making, to assess the outcomes from the Practice Incentives Program, and to manage program entry requirements, including accreditation.

The department agreed with the recommendations, and recognised that while a number of activities are being undertaken to improve the administration of the program, the recommendations will further guide and enhance this ongoing work.

• Monitoring and compliance Arrangements Supporting Quality of Care in Residential Aged Care Homes (Audit Report No.48 of 2010-11, tabled 16 June 2011)

The accredited residential aged care sector currently attracts over $6 billion in Australian Government subsidies for 2,773 homes nationally, which between them have the capacity to provide 178,000 places. Spending on aged care is projected to grow from 0.8% of GDP in 2009-10 to 1.8% of GDP in 2049-50, with growth in spending on residential aged care projected to be the main contributor to the increase.

The Australian National Audit Office made three recommendations to support the department and the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd to further strengthen the compliance framework and to enhance the monitoring and reporting of quality and performance.

• Administration of the Access to Allied Psychological Services Program (Audit Report No.51 of 2010-11, tabled 21 June 2011)

The Access to Allied Psychological Services Program, with current annual funding of around $43 million, is a key Australian Government initiative designed to improve access to mental health care, with an increasing focus in recent years on those groups with historically poor access and with low usage of ‘mainstream’ Medicare funded services. Since commencing in 2002, the Access to Allied Psychological Services Program has facilitated greater consumer access, at low or no cost, to Australian Government subsidised treatment in a primary care setting for people experiencing high prevalence mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders. As at March 2011, more than 900,000 mental health sessions of care had been recorded under the Access to Allied Psychological Services Program to around 170,000 people with a diagnosed mental health disorder.

To assist the department to strengthen its administration of the Access to Allied Psychological Services Program, the Australian National Audit Office made five recommendations. The department agreed to all five recommendations and noted that many of the matters covered in the recommendations are currently being addressed; and that implementation of the audit recommendations will further enhance the effectiveness of the administration of the program to continue to produce positive consumer outcomes for particularly disadvantaged Australians with mental illness.

Cross Agency Audits where the department was involved

• Direct Source Procurement (Audit Report No.11 of 2010-11, tabled 30 September 2010); and
• General Practice Education and Training (Audit Report No. 34, tabled 24 March 2011).

Other Audits where the department was not directly involved but where recommendations were targeted at all agencies

• Capitalisation of Software (Audit Report No.14 of 2010-11, tabled 28 October 2010); and
• The Protection and Security of Electronic Information Held by Australian Government Agencies (Audit Report No. 33, tabled 23 March 2011).

Judicial Decisions and Decisions of Administrative Appeals Tribunals

• 47 matters before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal;
• 18 matters in the Federal Court of Australia;
• 1 matter in the Full Federal Court of Australia;
• 1 matter in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory;
• 1 matter in the Supreme Court of Victoria; and
• 1 matter in the Supreme Court of South Australia.

Other Parliamentary Scrutiny

• Supplementary Budget Estimates – 20 and 22 October 2010;
• Additional Budget Estimates – 23 and 25 February 2011; and
• Budget Estimates – 30, 31 May and 3 June 2011.

Senate Community Affairs Committee

Legislation Committee

• Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling – Palm Oil) Bill 2010;
• National Health Reform Amendment (National Health Performance Authority Bill 2011) [Provisions];
• Human Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 [Provisions];
• National Health and Hospitals Network Bill 2010;
• Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling – Genetically Modified Material) Bill 2010; and
• National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) Bill 2010.

References Committee

• Disability and Ageing: lifelong planning for a better future;
• The Social and Economic Impact of Rural Wind Farms; and
• Consumer Access to Pharmaceutical Benefits.

Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee

References Committee

Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee

• Donor conception practices in Australia; and
• Patent Amendment (Human Gene and Biological Materials) Bill 2010.

Standing Committee on Health and Ageing

• Inquiry into Registration Processes and Support for Overseas Trained Doctors;
• Inquiry into Early Intervention Programs Aimed at Preventing Youth Suicide; and
• Advisory Report on the National Health Reform Amendment (National Health Performance Authority) Bill 2011.

Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications

• Inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network.

Commonwealth Ombudsman

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