Sector news

The Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care has identified Priorities for high-quality digitally enabled care as a roadmap to strengthen care in an evolving digital health environment. The Commission's four Priorities will help to:

• Embed digitally enabled care in clinical governance
• Strengthen virtual care quality
• Advance connected care through standardised data
• Lead system-wide quality improvement in digitally enabled care.

Advance Care Planning Australia has released a new resource, the Supporting advance care planning in general practice factsheet, designed to support GPs and practice teams to confidently integrate advance care planning (ACP) into everyday primary care.

Palliative Care Australia has announced the appointment of Dr Chris Hatherly as the organisation’s new Chief Executive Officer. Dr Hatherly will commence with PCA on 8 July 2026. Simon Waring will continue as Interim CEO during this transition.

During June 2026, the HELP Program will transition away from the HELP App, while continuing to deliver and evolve the broader HELP model. From 1June 2026, the HELP App will not be available from app stores, and all HELP digital networks will cease from June 30. The App has been valuable for many, but digital tools aren’t for everyone. This feedback and increasing costs mean it’s no longer sustainable. Latrobe is still providing access to the HELP tools and resources including the HELP Guide, HELP Tips, HELP Comversation Starter, and the HELP Script and Checklist on their website.

The Australian Health Biobank (AHB) is Australia’s first national general population biobank. The CSIRO, supported by the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Aging is establishing Australia’s first national biobank to provide researchers with secure access to a nationally representative repository of high-quality biospecimens and data. The AHB will support medical advances by providing researchers with access to samples from across the Australian population – making health and medical research easier and quicker.

The refreshed digital health hub by Allied Health Professions Australia provides a practical guide for allied health professionals to connect, adopt, and use digital health tools that support safer, more coordinated care.