NCOSS Health Policy Advice Group Submission on the NSW Liberals and Nationals Social Policy Framework, Smarter, Stronger, Healthier, Safer.

Joint COSS Submission: Commonwealth Government's Exposure Draft of the Healthcare Identifiers Bill 2010

NCOSS Submission: Comments on the development of a new National Women's Health Policy and the Consultation Discussion Paper.

NCOSS submission: The NGO sector and NSW Health agreed to undertake a Review of the NSW Health NGO Program in December 2008. NCOSS has provided comments on the NSW Health Discussion Paper that presents issues for consideration.

NCOSS submission

NCOSS Summary: Final Report of the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission, July 2009

NCOSS submission: Comments on the options for community health services proposed in the document Community health at the crossroads: Which way now?

NCOSS and Cancer Council NSW submission: focuses on the issue of smoking and disadvantage and the urgent need to reduce the burden of harm that tobacco imposes on our most vulnerable citizens. The submission affirms the work of the National Preventative Health Taskforce in addressing these issues.

NCOSS and a number of other Health NGO Peaks and State-wide services were invited by the NSW Minister for Health, John Della Bosca, to a meeting with NSW Health held on 3 December to discuss the announcement made in 11 November mini-budget that $11m over three years (or $5m recurrent from 2011-12) would be cut from funding to non-government organisations funded by NSW Health.

NCOSS Submission: Presents evidence from a number of NGOs gathered through a variety of consultation mechanisms undertaken by NCOSS in relation to the Review and provides a broad, thematic analysis of the information collected, pointing to some of the structural factors and issues raised throughout NCOSS consultations.

Minister Della Bosca's office has advised of the resolution in relation to Indexation to the NSW Health NGO Grants Program. NCOSS welcomes the prompt allocation of indexation payments to NGOs, however, has significant concerns that under the Mini-budget framework, the service delivery capacity of NGOs is lost as a funding cut to the NGO Grants Program.

NCOSS supplementary submission: In providing evidence to the Committee in their Inquiry into the Program of Appliances for Disabled People (PADP) on 1 October, NCOSS agreed to take on notice a question concerning how the PADP compares to other State and Territory Aids and Equipment Programs.

NCOSS supplementary submission: Comments on the exposure draft relating to the draft recommendations tabled at the consultation held on 17 October 2008.

NCOSS Submission: Inquiry into the program of appliances for disabled people (PADP)

Communique: NGOs that receive funding from NSW Health should have recently received communication from the Department seeking information on the ‘dollar amount of their grants covered by the SACS award’. This communique is intended to provide you with background and information on this issue, and provide some advice on responding to this request.

NCOSS response: In April, NSW Health began collecting information for a review of the Operational Guidelines for the NSW Health NGO Grant Program. They requested that NCOSS and other NSW NGO Health Peaks consult with their members on a preliminary set of questions. These questions were circulated to the members of the NSW NGO Health Peaks, including through FONGA. NCOSS has synthesised the feedback received into a response on behalf of the NSW NGO Health Peaks. This information is a response to preliminary questions. NCOSS expects that there will be further opportunity for detailed consultation with the NGO sector.

In April, NSW Health began collecting information for a review of the Operational Guidelines for the NSW Health NGO Grant Program. They requested that NCOSS and other NSW NGO Health Peaks consult with their members on a preliminary set of questions. These questions were circulated to the members of the NSW NGO Health Peaks, including through FONGA. NCOSS has synthesised the feedback received into a response on behalf of the NSW NGO Health Peaks. This information is a response to preliminary questions. NCOSS expects that there will be further opportunity for detailed consultation with the NGO sector.

NCOSS Submission: NCOSS endorses the intent of the document, namely articulating the rights of patients receiving health care.

Specific Purpose Payments (SPPs) are grants provided by the Commonwealth government to the States and Territories for specific purposes (as differentiated from those provided for general purposes). There are many SPPs that affect funding for health programs, including those provided by community and non-government organisations. NCOSS, Women’s Health NSW, ACON, MHCC, MHA NSW Inc, Family Planning NSW, NAAH, Hepatitis C Council and NADA have endorsed a position statement on the reform of SPPs and health funding to NSW.

NCOSS Submission: NCOSS believes that acute care services in NSW Public hospitals are an essential part of our health system. This submission outlines some of the issues raised with NCOSS in relation to the delivery of acute services in NSW public hospitals.