Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety: findings and what happened next
The quality and safety of aged care services in Australia, including residential and home care.
- Country
- Australia
- Type
- royal commission
- Established
- 8 October 2018
- Chaired by
- The Hon Tony Pagone QC, Lynelle Briggs AO
- Report published
- 1 March 2021
- Recommendations
- 148
Implementation, as of 1 November 2025The Aged Care Act 2024 and the Support at Home program were in place by 1 November 2025, which the aged care regulator linked to 58 of the royal commission's 148 recommendations.
What the inquiry found
- The interim report, titled Neglect, said "the system designed to care for older Australians is woefully inadequate".2
- The final report, Care, Dignity and Respect, said the aged care system "has reached crisis point".2
- The final report found that "Funding for aged care is insufficient, insecure, and subject to the fiscal priorities" of the government of the day.2
- The Commissioners found that successive governments had not adequately discharged their responsibilities, including in funding the system, according to the Parliamentary Library.2
- The Commissioners called for fundamental reform of the aged care system, and the report set out a new system covering access, governance, financing and workforce.1
Key recommendations
- The final report made 148 recommendations, and the government response of May 2021 set out a position on each one.1,3
- The government did not accept recommendations 5 and 6 as written and said it supported alternative models proposed by Commissioner Briggs instead.3
- The government committed to a new consumer focused aged care Act, which its response said was intended to commence from 1 July 2023, subject to parliamentary processes.3
What happened next
- The government announced a 537 million dollar package in response to the interim report.2
- On the release of the final report the government announced a 452.2 million dollar package and said a full response would come in the Budget process.2
- The government published its response to the final report alongside a 17.7 billion dollar aged care reform package.3
- The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission said the Aged Care Act 2024 and the Support at Home program were in place, and that the reforms respond to 58 of the royal commission's recommendations.4
Read the report: www.royalcommission.gov.au/aged-care/final-report
Sources
- Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Final Report: Care, Dignity and Respect (1 March 2021)
- Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia, Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Quick Guide (10 March 2021)
- Australian Government Department of Health, Australian Government Response to the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (May 2021)
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, A new era for aged care in Australia (1 November 2025)