In May 2021, the AHHA published a Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research Issues Brief ‘Managing the long-term health consequences of COVID-19 in Australia’ (the long COVID brief) calling for the Australian Government to develop an effective and proportionate value-based response to COVID-19, long COVID and its other longer-term consequences, that considered both patient health outcomes and costs. The long COVID brief outlined recommendations to support health policy makers to address the impact of long COVID on people, communities and the health system. To avoid duplication, we have endeavoured not to repeat the findings of the long COVID brief within this submission however we urge the committee to read and consider the evidence outlined as it continues to remain highly relevant.
Since its publication, 18 months ago, AHHA and its members have been left disappointed with the subsequent lack of coordinated government leadership to address the concerns about the impact of long COVID raised in the long COVID brief (and directly with government representatives). This lack of sector coordination has led to a fragmented, under resourced and inequitable response to addressing long COVID, which is now undermining the fundamental principles on which Australia’s health system is built: universality of services, equity in service provision, and choice (Commonwealth of Australia 2016) and leading to poor health outcomes.