About the exemption
An exemption from the 24/7 RN responsibility helps small residential facilities in rural and remote areas manage RN staffing challenges.
We may grant an exemption for up to 12 months, from 1 July 2023. A residential facility with an exemption in place will not need to have at least one RN on-site and on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
An exemption does not remove other obligations under the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Aged Care Quality Standards.
- deliver their mandatory RN care minutes obligation from 1 October 2023 – this is different to the 24/7 RN responsibility
-
submit a 24/7 RN report each month from 1 July 2023.
Which facilities may be eligible
To be eligible for an exemption, residential facilities must:
- be located in a Modified Monash Model (MMM) 5, 6 or 7 area
- have 30 or fewer operational places
- have appropriate alternative clinical care arrangements in place.
How to apply
Exemption applications are now open. To apply for an exemption, eligible providers must send a completed application form to us at exemptions@health.gov.au.
24/7 RN supplement
Services whose facilities receive exemption will not receive the 24/7 RN supplement.
Services that have an exemption in place can end their exemption at any time to provide 24‑hour RN care and receive the supplement.
To receive the 24/7 RN supplement, a facility must have an RN on-site and on duty 24/7.
Change of circumstances
Providers must notify us of any material change of circumstances that could impact the exemption for their residential facility. This includes:
- an increase to the number of operational places to more than 30 places
- any material changes to the alternative clinical care arrangements in place that would materially impact the clinical care given to residents.
Revocation of an exemption
We may revoke an exemption if a residential facility:
- has more than 30 operational places and no longer meets the eligibility criteria
- breaches a condition of the exemption
- does not take reasonable steps to meet the clinical care needs of residents
- receives a sanction or notice from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Future exemptions
We will use our experiences from this exemption process for the 2023-24 financial year to inform our future exemption processes and requirements.
This includes work we are doing to explore alternative clinical care arrangements and develop a model of regions of RN workforce shortage.
Find out more
You can find more information about the exemption process by:
- reading the Frequently asked Questions – exemption framework for the 24/7 registered nurse responsibility
- reading Section 5 of the Care minutes and 24/7 registered nurse responsibility guide
- watching the webinar Exemption process for 24/7 registered nurse responsibility – information for eligible providers.