Did the Disability Royal Commission do enough to consider allied health?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-09-27 12:00

Australia; NSW; VIC

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The Disability Royal Commission may not have done enough to adequately consider the role of allied health professionals in the care of people with intellectual disabilities, according to Australian researchers who reviewed the evidence presented to the Commission and how this informed its recommendations. The researchers say allied health - an umbrella term referring to qualified health specialists who don't fall under the medical, dental or nursing categories - such as speech pathologists, physios and dieticians - play an important role for many people with intellectual disabilities and many Australians with these disabilities currently have unmet needs when it comes to allied health. The researchers say little evidence was presented to the Commission around allied health, with hearings mostly focused on nursing and medical care. As a result, the Commission's recommendations around allied health may be oversimplified and in some cases not relevant to make the changes that are needed.