Webinar 11: Aged Care Reforms – Impacts on the Multi-Purpose Service (MPS) program and providers

[The visuals during this webinar are of each speaker presenting in turn via video, with reference to the content of a PowerPoint presentation being played on screen] 

Cathy Milfull: 

All right. Thanks everyone. It looks like we’ve got our usual numbers so we’ll get started. Thanks again for joining us for this next webinar in our Multi-Purpose Service Program Reform Series. So for those who don’t know me my name’s Cathy Milfull. I’m Acting Assistant Secretary of Thin Markets Branch. I’m responsible for the MPSP Program. So I’ll be hosting today’s session and you can also see Kate Harkins online who’s the Director of our MPSP team. So Kate will also be presenting today. And then as usual at the end we’ll have a Q&A session where Kate will join me again. So please as usual post questions in the chat or in the Q&A. No need to wait until the end. And the team will curate those as we go so Kate and I can answer at the end. 

So that’s pretty much the housekeeping. But before we get started I just wanted to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we are meeting today all across Australia where we live, learn and work. I would like to pay my respects to Elders past and present and recognise their resilience and strength and their rich contribution to Australian society. I’d also like to extend that respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here with us today. 

[Visual of slide with text saying ‘Multi-Purpose Service Program (MPSP)’, ‘Webinar #11’, ‘Aged care reforms:’, ‘Impacts on the MPSP & providers’, ‘16 September 2025’, ‘Thin Markets Branch’, ‘Australian Government with Crest (logo)’, ‘Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’, ‘www.health.gov.au’] 

So my team have got the slides up so we’ll get the presentation underway. 

So this first slide as normal just outlines what we’re going to cover today. So as usual we’ll start off with our usual reform update. So we’ll give you a bit of an update on where the Department is up to with the Act and the Rules, also our communication products to support you for 1 November. We’ll touch base on transitionals and also our MPSP reform trials. Kate’s then going to outline our new MPSP Policy Manual that we’ve designed in collaboration with stakeholders which will be released to coincide with the new Act. So an important document to help you from 1 November. It will then be back to me just to provide some updates on some thin market review work that we’ve been doing and then finally as usual we’ll have the Q&A session. 

All right. So the next slide just outlines our future webinar topics. So just to give you an idea of the way forward just want to flag for October that will probably be quite an important webinar where we really lock in those final preparations for 1 November and the new Act. I also wanted to mention that we’re hoping to get our My Aged Care team along for a presentation so would be great for everyone to join to make sure – basically we’re going to try and have a practical demonstration for you on how providers can use My Aged Care Portal from 1 November including accepting referrals of new clients who want to access services under the MPSP. So that will be a useful session for everyone. 

In November then again probably given the starting of the new Act we’ll have a real focus on finalising any transitional processes but also a chance for all of you to highlight any new issues that have come up and ask any questions that you need additional support with under the new Act. December a bit of a holding pattern at the moment. We’ll see how we’re going with the new Act and whether our stakeholders are keen for us to prioritise any particular topics for the December webinar. But if not we’d be keen to give you a bit of an update on the MPSP funding model review in a bit more detail including reporting back on the outcomes of the deep dives that we’ve been doing. But as usual if you have other ideas, things that you consider to be more of a priority that you’d really like to hear from us directly please just message my team via the mailbox or even put it in the chat today and we can add it to a future webinar agenda. 

[Visual of slide with text saying ‘MPSP reforms update’, ‘Cathy Milfull, Thin Markets Branch’, ‘Australian Government with Crest (logo)’, ‘Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’, ‘www.health.gov.au’] 

All right. So we’ll now move onto those MPS reforms. Just quickly obviously wanted to give you a bit of a legislative update as normal. So the good news is that you’ve probably heard the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill or the ACOLA Bill as we know it has passed the Parliament. So that’s really now paved the way for the new Aged Care Act to commence on 1 November as planned. As I flagged with this group previously there are no significant changes in that Bill in terms of the MPSP but it is an important step in the legislative reform journey. 

You will have seen some amendments were also made to the ACOLA Bill during Parliamentary passage but again nothing specifically of significance for MPSP. It more related to for example the allocation of additional Home Care Packages. 

All right. So that’s the Act level. At the Rules level basically now that that Bill has passed we’re all sorted with the primary legislation for 1 November so it means we now need to just lock in the final Rules for 1 November. This is happening as we speak with just those final technical adjustments being made. Again most of those final adjustments won’t impact the Multi-Purpose Service Program. But I did just want to flag one change with you that we have been progressing. We’ve already discussed this with your state and territory Health representatives and they were largely supportive. But we just wanted to flag so everyone’s aware when you see those final Rules on 1 November there will be some changes in terms of the time periods in which providers under the MPSP need to put in place Service Agreements and Care Plans.  

So essentially we’ve noticed a bit of an issue with the drafting that would have been quite confusing and not really practical. So what it means now is effectively there’s only going to be one time period. So for new clients you will have 28 days to establish those agreements and plans. And so that doesn’t matter if they’ve come through normal entry channels or alternative entry. There’s just one period of 28 days. So hopefully that’s easier for you to remember. 

The only things I wanted to point out there that are a little different is obviously where you need an Accommodation Agreement that does need to be in place before you commence services for the person on an ongoing basis. So no dramas if you’re bringing someone in urgently for respite etcetera but as soon as effectively they’re entering permanent residential care you will need to have that agreement in place so that they’re aware of any fees that you’re going to be charging. 

Also just flagging that I’m talking about new clients here, so clients who commence services with you from 1 November. We are still working on some transitional arrangements to make sure you don’t need to rush to get all these new agreements in place for existing clients that don’t have them before 1 November. So we’ll confirm that at the next webinar but our aim is to cater for a six month transitional period so that you have time to get I guess if you like those documents in place for existing clients. We’re hoping that this phased approach makes it easier for you as providers but also for clients noting there will be a lot of change for 1 November. 

The only other thing I wanted to flag with you today in terms of subordinate legislation was that there are some other changes coming in relation to the MPS subsidy provisions. And sorry. It is a bit confusing but we’re implementing this both for 1 October 2025 – so we’ve actually made amendments to our existing legislation – plus for 1 November in the new Rules. And these changes really nothing to worry about. They’re positive. They’re aiming to ensure that there is no reduction in subsidy rates for any MPS provider for 1 November. So what I mean by that is you might be aware that the outbreak management support supplement ceases on 30th of September. So what we’ve arranged to do is effectively move that funding that you get under that supplement at the moment to the base rate for a residential care place under the MPS Program. So it basically means you’ll still get the same amount of total funding. 

Similarly we’ve just made a few more adjustments. As you might remember the Modified Monash Model update, the MMM 2023 is also being implemented for 1 October. So we’ve just also made those adjustments to the Rules for both 1 October and 1 November to make sure that no provider is disadvantaged by that change. 

So that’s all the main subordinate legislation. As I mentioned earlier the transitional rules for 1 November are still being finalised but we will provide you advice on those at the next webinar. 

All right. Next up, communication products. Probably not much to say here. Though just to remind you that we have developed lots of products in consultation with jurisdictions to help you from 1 November. So the team have released an updated MPSP website. There’s a readiness checklist. There’s fact sheets and templates plus the MPSP Policy Manual that Kate will be talking about shortly. So a lot of that is already up on the website and my team will do a final check once all the final Rules are in place to make sure we’ve made any final adjustments and make sure that’s all done and ready for you to go by 1 November. 

All right. So next update was just a reminder about key data collection dates. Firstly in terms of transitional arrangements just a reminder that we’ll have those final client data workbooks due on the 31st of October. And that’s really important just to capture any updates in terms of the people that are in your MPS that you’re delivering services to. So particularly anyone who entered your MPS as a resident since we did the last update in May. So this is really important so we get that correct list of clients that we can process and ensure that they are transitioned over to the new Act. 

Annual reporting is the other thing on the go. So don’t forget. You would have already hopefully provided your income expenditure report which was due. Sorry. I think I’ve got that wrong. I take that back. You should have already provided your annual activity report and client demographics reports which were due on the 31st of August but if you haven’t done so please reach out to us urgently. The income and expenditure report is then due by the 31st of October. So please make sure you’re on track to meet that date where possible. 

All right. Next slide please. So just in terms of transitional clients I just wanted to touch base on this once more. I realise this has been a long process but these arrangements are critical for ensuring a smooth shift over to the new Act for existing clients. So in terms of getting those client records correct I just wanted to flag that my team will continue to support providers resolve any outstanding issues that could impact data matching on the Department’s side where we’re trying to update My Aged Care records or create new records to reflect the people who are receiving services at your MPS. If there are any more issues my team will contact your contact officers in early October to help resolve these issues. 

But just a reminder that we do need you to seek any outstanding client consents ahead of that 31st October submission deadline and that’s really important to ensure that the clients are correctly transitioned and that their approvals are in place before the new arrangements commence. Just on that if you are still having issues in particular client cohorts where they’re not prepared to consent please make sure you reach out to my team so we can work through that with you. 

So lastly I probably just wanted to make sure that everyone is clear that unfortunately finalising transitional arrangements actually has to follow the 1 November date. And that’s because we can’t of course officially indicate that someone falls into the transition cohort until after the new Act commences. Because it’s all based on the situation of that person the day before really the Act commences. But I would ask that you just reassure your clients if they’re concerned that if they’ve provided their consent and their details have been submitted by their provider to the Department there shouldn’t be any issues in terms of service disruption. 

My team will also be providing yourselves with a letter that confirms the stages of those people as soon as we can in late 2025. I note that getting that letter is not critical, not time critical if the person is intending to continue receiving services in the MPS anyway. What will be important is if that person after 1 November wants to leave your MPS and commence mainstream services. That timing will be important. So we’re outlining a process for that and we’ll come back to you at the next webinar. But just flagging please keep an eye on these cases because we will need your help to case manage them to avoid any disruption to those older people getting services under mainstream programs. 

All right. I think last update then is just briefly on our reforms trials. Just want to say thanks again for your ongoing participation in these trials. For 24/7 just flagging we’ve got our next reporting period in September. But as you’d be aware we’re also seeking Government approval to extend the trial arrangements until 30 June 2026. So we should have some news on that soon and we’ll keep you posted. But in the meantime I guess just rest assured that we are continuing to operate in a trial setting if you like and we will provide you with a plan for transitioning to formal arrangements in 2026 as soon as we have final Government decision on that. 

The other trial of course is the direct care trial. So just flagging of course we’ve commenced a time in motion study. So that’s our second pilot under this phase of the trial with 34 sites already agreeing to participate. So thank you very much for those providers who’ve agreed to participate. My team inform me though it’s not too late and they’d love to hear from you. So if you would like to participate feel free to reach out to our mailbox. The address is on the screen there. And just so you know alongside that work my team are collating information on mandated staffing ratios across jurisdictions. We want to see how these could apply to aged care beds within MultiPurpose Services and again that might offer us some other options in terms of how we want to implement direct care targets and reporting in the MPS setting. 

So I think that’s the end of my updates for now so I will hand over to the fabulous Kate who is going to talk you through the new MPSP Policy Manual. Over to you Kate. 

Kate Harkins: 

[Visual of slide with text saying ‘Introducing the new MPSP Policy Manual’, ‘Kate Harkins, Thin Markets Branch’, ‘Australian Government with Crest (logo)’, ‘Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’, ‘www.health.gov.au’] 

Thanks Cathy. And hello everyone. For those who haven’t met me before as Cathy said my name’s Kate Harkins and I am the Director of the MPS section. I’m here to talk about the new MPSP Manual which has been developed in close consultation with the MPSP Working Group. So thanks very much to all those members. It’s really made it a really great document. 

I’m pleased to share that the 25-26 edition of the Manual will be published on the Department’s website to coincide with the introduction of the Act on the 1st of November. So this timing means that providers will have access to updated guidance that aligns with the most recent legislative changes. And that will include the transitional arrangements as well. 

So the Manual is designed to support MPSP providers by clearly outlining their obligations, their reporting requirements and the accreditation pathways under the new aged care framework. It aims to simplify compliance for you and to provide clarity on how the program operates within the broader aged care system. We’ve structured the Manual to be practical and hopefully easy to navigate. It include step by step guidance, links to relevant information like legislation and fact sheets, and it also includes examples to help you understand how to meet your obligations. 

Today I’m going to take you through the key components of the Manual including its purpose, how it works and what steps you can take. 

So the purpose of the Manual is that we really wanted to develop a key resource for providers and for program managers. It’s designed for everyone from those on the ground managing shifts right up to managers in state offices. It provides comprehensive policy and operational guidelines for the delivering of aged care services. It also explains the Australian Government’s policy context and requirements. So it aims to help providers understand how their services fit within the broader framework. 

It's important to note that the Manual is not legal advice. So there is a disclaimer in the Manual and I will remind people of that again when it goes live. But please read it alongside the Act and any other related legislation to ensure full compliance. Of course once the Manual is published we would really welcome your feedback. You can send comments to the email address there and really at any time. So I’ll talk about it later but the plan is to regularly update the Policy Manual and your feedback will make it a much better document. 

So now we’ll look at how the Manual works and how it’s structured and how it will be maintained over time. The Manual is structured into thematic sections that cover all aspects of MPSP operations from accreditation and reporting to service delivery and when you’re exempt from a requirement. It’s designed to be a living document as I said earlier and so we really want to make sure that it meets your needs. The first update is expected in mid-2026 following the initial rollout of the Act. We really encourage you to share comments and suggestions in early 2026 which will mean that we can implement it for that update in mid-2026. 

Topics covered in the Manual are pretty broad and this slide gives you a snapshot of that. As you can see it’s designed to be comprehensive, covering everything from how services are accessed if you’re an older person to how it’s funded for you as a provider, from regulation and reporting. It also includes guidance on place allocations and future reforms. Together these sections provide a full picture of how the MPS will operate under the new aged care framework. 

So I wanted to give you all a bit of an overview about the key content in the Manual. And to make it easier to follow I’ve split it up into three topics. The first one here as you can see relates to older people who are seeking and accessing services. So changes to the process for older people include information about the application and assessment process through My Aged Care and Integrated Assessment Tool. It details what information an older person will receive after they get an assessment and also lets you know how you can access this information through My Aged Care to understand what services you can deliver to that individual. Noting that of course you can only approve the services that are approved from 1 November. 

It also provides information about how older Australians will be referred to your MPS. And as Cathy mentioned we will have a demo hopefully at the next webinar about how you can accept those referrals through the system. It also includes information about what agreements you need to ensure that are in place and when they need to be in place by. It also gives you some advice about what happens to a person who does need to move from an MPS into a mainstream service be that home care or residential care. 

For providers the Policy Manual includes details about how an MPSP remains registered and your ongoing obligations. The Manual provides information about your reporting needs and it can also help you navigate the legislation to confirm what you need to do to remain compliant. As you know it can be pretty tricky if you’re a Government provider, non-Government provider, if you accept a RAD, if you don’t. And so we’ve got a really handy little table that takes you through line by line about given your situation what you need to do. 

It also outlines the role that different agencies play within the regulation space, so for example the interaction between the Aged Care Commission and the Health Commission. And as I mentioned previously it also gives some extra detail about the reform activities underway so that you can make sure that you’re meeting those reporting obligations as well. 

Finally in relation to places, fees and subsidies the Manual provides information around place allocations. This will include how we plan to build in more flexibility around allocations and about how an expansion or the establishment of a new MPS would be set up. This will still need to follow the Minister approving a certain number of places being available but this is more about how we then implement that determination once the Minister has made it.  

The Manual will also clearly outline how MPSP subsidies are calculated and paid. It will also include information on what you can charge your residents or home care recipients from 1 November. Please make sure you read this information. There is a significant change and I think it’s a positive one because the new legislation is really clear about what can be charged and what can’t be charged. 

So to sum up here are a few important actions to keep in mind as we move forward. On the 1st of November we’ll send everyone a link to the Manual. Please have a look. Think about it, if you’ve got any suggestions. Please use it as a reference tool. We hope it’s helpful. And we also really encourage you to share it with all of your staff. It will really make sure that all MPSs are operating in the same framework and it’s a really great way for your staff to understand all the ins and outs of how things work. 

I’ll now hand back to Cathy. Thank you. 

Cathy Milfull: 

[Visual of slide with text saying ‘Aged Care Modified Monash Model (MMM) Review’, ‘Cathy Milfull, Thin Markets Branch’, ‘Australian Government with Crest (logo)’, ‘Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’, ‘www.health.gov.au’] 

Thanks Kate. Thanks everyone. All right. Now moving on. Just to finish off the webinar today I’m sorry I’m going to move off discussion of MPSP for a moment, but I just really wanted to give you an update of some of the broader work the Department is doing with the aim to improve aged care service delivery arrangements in regional, rural and remote Australia given as MPS providers you’re so important in that role of ensuring there’s adequate service delivery in rural and remote Australia. 

So firstly I just wanted to touch base on the Aged Care MMM Review as we know it, so basically the review of the remoteness classification system for aged care. So this slide we’ve probably seen before. It just provides our timeline for the review. I just wanted to confirm for everyone that we did complete our public consultations as intended in April and May this year and we actually have drafted the consultation summary report which will tell everyone what we heard through those consultations. So we’ve just got that report with the Minister at the moment but we’re hoping to have it signed off shortly and then we’ll publish it on the Department’s website. So keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks. 

Just in terms of our consultation process won’t go into detail but I did just want to say a big thank you for any of you who did participate. We had a really great response as you can see on the screen here with 270 responses to our online survey. And my team are also out and about talking to stakeholders both in person in those sites that you can see on the screen and also in sort of online discussions. So it’s been great to get an understanding from really different perspectives and you’ll see we’ve summarised that in the consultation report when it’s published. 

I’m not going to spoil the surprise of what’s in the report too much. I don’t want to steal our thunder. But I did just want to flag on the screen here these are really the three key messages that we heard during our consultations. So as you can see here the main thing was the common message was that MMM really is a useful tool but it does have its limitations for aged care especially from a regional, rural and remote perspective. Stakeholders also really reiterated with us the importance of understanding local context, so if you like going a bit deeper into the situation in a local area. And they explained to us why more information might be needed to inform eligibility requirements for particular aged care programs and/or how funding is allocated.  

So we’ll outline that in the report and then the aim will be to move on and finalise a review report with some recommendations. But we hope to do that by the end of this year. Timing is pretty tight though. So we’d get that to Government by the end of the calendar year and hopefully then we’d be able to publish it subject to Government approval early in 2026. 

[Visual of slide with text saying ‘Developing a framework to improve aged care services delivery in regional, rural & remote Australia’, ‘Cathy Milfull, Thin Markets Branch’, ‘Australian Government with Crest (logo)’, ‘Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’, ‘www.health.gov.au’] 

All right. So that’s the MMM review. I then wanted to talk about another piece of work some of you might be aware of that we’re doing to develop what we’re calling a new Regional, Rural and Remote Aged Care Policy Framework and Work Plan. So look why are we doing this? I guess I wanted to flag that lots of issues about regional, rural and remote service delivery were raised with us as part of that MMM review but not all of it relate just to the remoteness classification system. We don’t want that information intelligence though to go to waste. So this will all be directed to working on this new Policy Framework and Work Plan which we hope to consult on by the end of this calendar year.  

Why a new framework you might ask. Haven’t we done enough reviews? We certainly want to shift from reviews to action that delivers improvements to local communities but we do think we’ve got a bit more work to do. Why do we think that? Well the Government continues to invest quite substantially to support thin market service delivery but we really want to make sure those investments are value for money targeted and really reach particular communities in need. We continue to get feedback that perhaps some of the supports for Government is not necessarily getting to exactly where it needs to go. So getting those settings right is really critical if we’re going to work together to ensure that aged care is accessible, safe and high quality regardless of where someone lives consistent with the objectives of the new person centred Aged Care Act. 

So what do we want to achieve with this Framework? Basically we want to use it to drive ensuring we have a consistent thin market narrative and policy approach. As you can see on the screen here for us we think it’s important that this is integrated with work underway across the care sector more broadly and it needs to incorporate place based solutions. These solutions also need to be adaptable to the realities of delivering care in rural and remote areas. And we want to draw on the excellent innovative and integrated care solutions that we know experienced and committed providers in regional, rural and remote areas out there are already adopting. 

To ensure this isn’t just a policy framework we also want to have a transparent work plan that would outline the work we have underway and proposed reforms, and the idea is it’s a vehicle to help us prioritise that work for maximum impact. Noting that we can’t do everything at once, so we really want to get a sector perspective on what things we should be prioritising now. 

So what will be in the Framework? We’re hoping to use the consultation version of the Framework to really test our assumptions as to what the key blockers to accessing care in thin markets are now. So we know there are ongoing challenges. The diagram on the slide gives you an idea of some that we think are really critical. Certainly workforce shortages remains a key pressure point but other areas that get raised with us a lot are infrastructure limitations, for example compliance costs, and more recently there’s a bit of a theme around the costs of meeting travel costs particularly in remote areas. We recognise these factors can make it difficult for providers to maintain their services but also of course to expand them which we are keen to occur to meet growing demand. 

So the Framework will outline those blockers. The idea then is it also kind of outlines what are the policy levers that the Government has at its disposal to try and address some of those challenges. This slide just gives you an idea of some of those. For example we’re investing in flexible funding models like the MPSP funding model. We have various provider supports available whether that’s for workforce, viability or our infrastructure grant funding, for example under the ACCAP program. We’re also working to better integrate aged care services with health and other local services. But the reality is we can’t do it all at once. And many of the challenges faced by regional, rural and remote provides are longstanding so we really need targeted and coordinated reforms to address them. 

So through this Framework process what we’re hoping to do is get sector feedback on what we should be focusing on now. This slide gives you an idea of some of the areas that we think are priority but basically we’ll be using this process to test that with all of you and other stakeholders more broadly. For example you can see there regulatory harmonisation we consider remains a key priority to reduce duplication and make compliance costs more manageable for providers. 

So I guess before I finish just to give you sort of two examples of this. So you can see for example I mentioned regulatory harmonisation. A project that we see as sitting in the Work Plan to address that is for example expanding streamlined accreditation. So for example you might be aware that my team’s had a project underway to expand the streamlined accreditation arrangements that currently apply in an MPSP context to other Government providers in rural and remote areas. So we’ve recently got sign off for that. So we’ve got a clear mandate to move forward. And so we’re engaging with regulators to work through the details of implementation. 

So we think this for example is an important step that actually delivers some real change on the ground. But it’s limited. So the consultation framework for example could help us think further about how we might expand these arrangements in future to other types of integrated service providers and it will be a vehicle for providers to inform us of the priority cohorts if you like in that space. 

So that’s just one example. The other one I wanted to mention is our MPS funding review obviously already underway. But this remains a priority for the Department and so would also appear on the Work Plan as a topic under ensuring targeted funding supports moving forward. So the Framework will ensure the review continues to be prioritised but also ensure that it doesn’t proceed in isolation. So it’s a way we can ensure that it’s linked in with other work underway, for example any further adjustments to mainstream residential care funding. And you might be aware there’s a review of the Transition Care Program underway soon as well. 

So just in terms of the MPS funding review while I’ve got it up on the screen, just flagging my team will be completing their deep dive consultations by October and IHACPA has also completed their consultations I understand with 27 providers with the support of Deloitte. So that’s a really positive result and many thanks to all of you who’ve been involved in that process. 

Next steps really for the Review are that IHACPA will start their costing assessment next year and the Department will also continue its engagement activities. So as you can see on the screen we’re hoping to target early 2026 for an initial consultation paper and some workshops to progress policy design work while we’re awaiting costing information. So that IHACPA advice will be really critical but we also don’t want to wait. We really want to have some policy discussions with jurisdictions and providers to make sure that moving forward we’ve got the right structure for MPS and then we can use IHACPA’s advice to inform what the if you like corresponding funding model will look like. 

So I think that brings us to the end of the presentation. I’m just having a look. I think I’ve got a question from Aaron Balm I can see. So just in terms of Aaron’s question, Aaron I’m not sure if I have a concrete date for you but I will say that I think we should have the information that we need to finalise the Manual over the next week or two. So if everybody’s happy we’re very happy if it helps to circulate even if it’s just to the MPS Working Group if it’s easier a further draft of the Manual I think by that first week of October. If that’s helpful we can certainly do that. And then as Kate mentioned we’ll have the final up on the website ready to go for everyone on 1 November. So very happy to do that if everyone can just be aware there might be obviously a few changes. So make sure that you use the final uploaded version from 1 November.  

In terms of the Transitional Rules I haven’t got a final date yet either but essentially the aim is I think you’ll see the main Rules published and then the Transitional Rules should follow soon after. There is not an exposure draft arrangement going to be in place like last time. That’s because these Rules very much are technical in nature. But certainly we will keep jurisdictions through the MPSP Working Group posted on the content of those Rules. But as I said we’re not expecting any surprises. We’ve provided our drafting instructions consistent with the advice that we’ve been providing through these webinars. But certainly by next webinar we should be in a position to confirm all those. And I do apologise. I know it has been an extended process but unfortunately obviously the Bill needed to be passed with those amendments and then the main Rules have to take priority and the Transitional Rules though should be following now close behind. So hopefully not far away now. 

Have we got any other questions? 

Not at this stage.  

Online Participant: 

Not so far Cathy but I’m hoping that people do have – we sometimes have an issue with the Q&A function. So if anyone’s got a question they can absolutely throw it into the chat just in case. 

Cathy Milfull: 

Looks like Monique has just popped in one question – thanks Monique – in the Q&A. So just saying when will the deep dive discussion – look I think Monique the aim is to finish all the discussions by October. So I think we should be in a position to – I guess we’ll just have to decide. I think we will report back at a high level to the Working Group and then as per the beginning of this presentation I think December would be the time once everyone’s had a bit of space post new Act implementation. We’d really like to focus December on the MPS Funding Review and where we’re up to. That would then lead to a consultation paper early in the next calendar year and workshops so that we can really digest what we’ve heard together from those discussions alongside obviously the work IHACPA is doing, and that can feed into our codesign work. 

Any other questions? 

Sharon. 

Q: Any update on funding for pharmacy staffing in a hybrid model and the electronic med chart? 

I might need to take that on notice Sharon unless Kate has any advice. 

Kate Harkins: 

No insight here. 

Cathy Milfull: 

Okay. Sharon if that’s okay I will – actually I do know my team has been discussing some of this. I just don’t have that to hand. So if that’s all right I’ll take that one on notice and we’ll get back to you separately on that one. 

All right. Well if there’s nothing else we might leave that there then and give you I think 15 minutes back in your day which I’m sure everybody will use wisely. So thanks everyone for joining us. If you’ve got any other questions feel free to just send them through to the mailbox anyway. Otherwise we’ll see you in October. And as I said I’d really encourage you to get your teams along so we can have those final discussions before 1 November and also that practical presentation from My Aged Care, because I think that will be really helpful. And anything else please reach out. If you’re feeling like there’s still some gaps in your knowledge for 1 November just please reach out and Kate and I can work with the team to provide any additional information. All right. 

Kate Harkins: 

And maybe you could use this 15 minutes to go check out our new website and new fact sheets that might even answer some of those questions. 

Cathy Milfull: 

Kate’s advertising. Excellent. Thanks all. Take care. Bye. 

Kate Harkins: 

Bye everyone. 

[End of Transcript]