Pandemic review calls for disease control centre

LESSONS FOR THE NEXT CRISIS: RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COVID-19 RESPONSE INQUIRY

* Address gaps in health recovery from the COVID‐19 pandemic, including greater investment in mental health support for children and young people, and catching up with a decline in health prevention measures

* Review the COVID‐19 vaccine claims scheme, to inform future use of similar indemnity schemes in a national health emergency

* Conduct reviews of outstanding key COVID‐19 response measures, including a review of the Biosecurity Act and key economic measures

* Ensure young people are genuinely engaged and impacts on children are considered in pandemic preparedness activities and responses

* Develop updated health emergency planning and response arrangements in conjunction with states and territories, including consideration of escalation and de‐escalation points, real‐time review and a focus on post‐emergency recovery

* Develop frameworks to support responses in a public health emergency including for international border management, identifying essential services and essential workers, quarantine, the National Medical Stockpile and Economic Toolkit

* Establish a Centre for Disease Control (CDC) as an authoritative voice on risk assessment and communication, and a national repository of communicable disease data, evidence and advice

* Establish mechanisms for national cabinet to receive additional expert advice for a whole‐of‐society emergency

* Agree and document the responsibilities of the federal, state and territory governments and key partners in a national health emergency

* Agree and test a national governance structure to support future health crisis responses, including an appropriate emergency cabinet committee that brings together heads of relevant agencies to co-ordinate the response

* Improve data collection, sharing, linkage, and analytic capability to enable an effective, targeted and proportionate response in a national health emergency

* Develop a plan to build and maintain emergency management capability within the Australian Public Service, including planning and management of a surge workforce

* Agree on nationally consistent reforms to allow health professionals to work to their full training and experience

* Embed flexibility in government grant and procurement arrangements to support the rapid delivery of funding and services in a national health emergency

* Ensure there are appropriate co-ordination and communication pathways in place with industry, unions, governments, community representatives and other stakeholders for public health emergencies

* Develop and agree on transparency principles for the release of advice that informs decision‐making in a public health emergency

* Develop a national strategy to rebuild community trust in vaccines and improve vaccination rates

* Proactively address populations most at risk and consider existing inequities in access to services in pandemic management plans and responses

* Develop a communication strategy for national health emergencies that ensures Australians have the information they need to manage their social, work and family lives

* Federal government works with the states and territories to improve capability to shift to remote learning if required

* Build emergency management and response capability

* Improve domestic and international supply chain resilience

* Include additional functions to the disease control centre to enhance national pandemic detection and response capability

* Maintain agreements between national and state agencies on shared responsibilities for human health under the Biosecurity Act

* Continue to monitor and evaluate the long‐term impacts of COVID‐19, including long COVID, vaccine-adverse events, mental health and education outcomes

* Modernise and improve data, systems and process capabilities to enable more tailored and effective program delivery in a crisis