Aged Care Royal Commission sets date for public submissions to close: 31 July – last chance to have your say on future of aged care

Just days after announcing they would begin publishing submissions from the public and organisations on their website, Commissioners Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs AO have indicated they are on track to conclude their enquiry into Australia’s aged care system. The new deadline for general submissions to the Royal Commission will be close of business on Friday, 31 July 2020 – a month longer than the previous deadline of 30 June, but still only seven weeks away. As at 5 June 2020, over 8,600 submissions had been made to the Royal Commission since the initial call for submissions was announced in December 2018 – an average of 477 a month or around 110 per week. The Commission’s dedicated in-house telephone line has also received more than 6,000 calls. As we reported yesterday, groups of up to 50 submissions from the last 18 months are now being published on the Royal Commission website. Even with the extension however, the deadline will be tight for operators planning to make a new submission on their response to the COVID-19 pandemic – a call out issued by the Commissioners on 29 April, six weeks ago. It seems however it will be operators’ last chance to have their say on the future of aged care in this country. You can make a submission here.