Released 24/03/2017
ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris attended the COAG Health Council meeting in Melbourne today where a range of issues were discussed including mental health, long term hospital funding, digital health and vaccine preventable disease.
“As Health Minister I was pleased to be able to attend today’s COAG Health Council – my first meeting as ACT Health Minister and the first meeting with new Commonwealth Health Minister Greg Hunt.
“It was a good discussion about a range of issues facing all jurisdictions, including the need for new national partnership agreements, which the Commonwealth will provide more detail on soon.
“Mental health was raised as a key issue, with the National Mental Health Plan to be renamed the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan, reflecting a stronger focus on suicide prevention. The ACT Government is taking a proactive approach to mental health already, with the appointment of Shane Rattenbury as Minister for Mental Health, and we both look forward to a dedicated discussion on mental health at the next COAG Health Council in August 2017.
“The roll out of the digital My Health Record initiative was also discussed, which is a great key element of the national health agenda. Ministers agreed to a national opt-out scheme for longer term participation and I will look at ways we can progress this reform here in the ACT.
“Vaccines were also discussed, including work to develop a priority national approval pathway for responding to vaccine preventable diseases, so that if there is an outbreak we have a mechanism to fast-track access to vaccinations.
“I also had an opportunity to raise ‘No Jab No Play’ with my state and territory counterparts, and I look forward to developing an approach to achieve this in the ACT, drawing on what has been effective in other jurisdictions and its contribution to improving our already strong immunisation rates,” said Minister Fitzharris.
- Statement ends -
Meegan Fitzharris, MLA | Media Releases
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