Annual Report of the National Treatment Monitoring Committee

The National Treatment Monitoring Committee (NATMOC) was established in 1992 to monitor the integration or sale of the Repatriation General Hospitals (RGHs) and the operation of the Repatriation Private Patient Scheme (RPPS) in each State and Territory.

After approving the operation of the committee for an initial two-year period, the Commission reviewed NATMOC's role in May 1994 and, satisfied with its progress, approved an extension for a further two years. It approved further extensions in 1996 and 1998. In June 2002, NATMOC was extended until 2004.

Enabling legislation

NATMOC is established under the Repatriation Private Patient Principles (RPPPs), which are determined under section 90A of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. The RPPPs state that the Commission will monitor access to, and quality of, hospital care arranged for the veteran community through a national treatment monitoring committee and a treatment monitoring committee (TMOC) in each State, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. NATMOC also has the same monitoring role under paragraph 13 of the schedule to the Seamens' War Pensions and Allowances Regulations.

Membership

Membership of NATMOC is determined under RPPP No 13. Members are appointed for a two-year period but may resign at any time. The committee has two Commonwealth officers and seven members who represent ex-service and associated organisations:

Dr Neil Johnston	President, Repatriation Commission — Commonwealth representative and Chair
Mr Geoff Stonehouse OAM	Division Head Health, DVA — Commonwealth representative
Mr George Mialkowski	Returned & Services League of Australia
Mrs June Healy OAM	War Widows' Guild of Australia — to 22 November 2002
Mrs Kathleen Ross OAM	War Widows' Guild of Australia — from 13 December 2002
Mr Peter Alexander CMG OBE OAM	Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council
Mr John 'Blue' Ryan	Australian Federation of Totally & Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Servicemen and Women
Mr Simon Agnew	National Legacy Coordinating Council
Air Vice-Marshal John Paule AO DSO AFC (Retd)	Regular Defence Force Welfare Association
Mr Rob Cox OAM	Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia

The current periods of appointment will expire on 30 June 2004.

Powers and functions

During 2002–03, NATMOC continued to provide a forum for TMOCs to raise issues best addressed at a national level. The committee received reports from State TMOCs which included reports from each State Health Department and Greenslopes Private Hospital and Hollywood Private Hospital on aspects relating to the operation of the RPPS and wider health care issues for the veteran community.

Staff

The Department continued to provide secretariat services to the committees. Information about NATMOC can be obtained from the Branch Head Health Services on (02) 6289 6181.

Funding

NATMOC is financed from the Department of Veterans' Affairs budget allocation. Although committee members receive no sitting fees, the Department covers the cost of travel and accommodation where members are required to attend interstate meetings.

NATMOC does not distribute funds or grants.

Table 88: NATMOC expenses for 2002­03

Travel expenses for three meetings	$17 743
Accommodation for three meetings	$5 998
Provisioning for meetings	$1 236
Total	$24 977

Meetings

Meetings were held on 25 July 2002 in Brisbane, 28 November 2002 in Melbourne and 27 March 2003 in Hobart.

Activities and issues raised

The committee's priorities during 2002–03 included:

• reviewing the minutes from State TMOCs;

• monitoring:
  — private hospital veteran partnering activities;
  — the Defence and DVA Links Project;
  — Military Compensation & Rehabilitation Scheme statistics;
  — Tier 1 hospital contract review;
  — Veterans' Home Care;
  — specialist fees;
  — access to emergency after-hours psychiatric care;
  — Health e-business initiatives;
  — Rehabilitation Appliances Program;
  — Discharge Planning Resource Kit;
  — health studies;
  — F-111 Deseal/Reseal Health Care Scheme;
  — the National Ex-Service Round Table on Aged Care; and
• considering issues arising from the Australian Hearing Services Advisory Committee.

Veteran partnering

Members continued to monitor negotiations on veteran partnering arrangements for the provision of services to eligible veterans by private hospitals. Particular attention was paid to the development of arrangements in Western Australia.

Defence and DVA Links Project

NATMOC has continued to support the Defence and DVA Links Project, which aims to improve services to Australian Defence Force members and veterans by identifying common business areas between the DVA and Defence and making better use of resources.

Tier 1 Hospital Contract Review

The members followed the progress of the review carried out by TFG International to examine the Department's strategies for purchasing public and private hospital services for entitled veterans, war widows/widowers and dependants.

Specialist fees

Members were kept informed of the progress of discussions between the Department, the Australian Medical Association, specialists and Local Medical Officers concerning contractual arrangements.

Rehabilitation Appliances Program

The members continued to monitor the review of the Department's Rehabilitation Appliances Program, which commenced in 2001.

Discharge Planning Resource Kit

Discharge planning continues to be an important subject to NATMOC and the members supported the review of the Department's Discharge Planning Resource Kit and veteran brochure. The new version of the kit clearly explains the process for organising services upon discharge and reflects the current trends and practices in discharge planning. The kit was distributed to all public and private hospitals and day procedure centres in June 2003.

Health studies

Members were kept up-to-date on the progress of the following studies:

• Korean War veterans mortality and cancer incidence studies and general health and psychiatric disease survey;

• Study of Health Outcomes of Aircraft Maintenance Personnel;

• Australian participants in the British nuclear tests program — cancer incidence and mortality study;

• Gulf War Veterans Health Study; and

• Third Vietnam Veterans' Mortality Study.

National Ex-service Round Table on Aged Care

Members continue to have a particular interest in aged care issues addressed by the National Ex-service Round Table on Aged Care. Special needs status was granted to the veteran community through the Department of Health and Ageing and has been closely monitored.

 

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