The 2022 federal election is critical for the health and aged care sectors. Both parties need to address the COVID care deficit, oral health care, and commit to fix the aged care mess. The ongoing tragedy of First Nations health should also remain a priority. And a bipartisan acceptance of the need to address climate change is also required.

What is known about the topic? Bevacizumab is known to be a far cheaper off-label alternative for the treatment of retinal vascular diseases such as age related macular disease, diabetic maculopathy and venous occlusive disease. Cost, litigation pressures and supply issues continue to limit its use in Australia. What does this paper add? This paper discusses the approaches taken by other health jurisdictions and authorities around the world, enabling easier access to this drug and thus making massive cost savings to their respective health budgets. What are the implications for practitioners? Potentially enormous cost savings could be achieved by enabling easier access to bevacizumab.

What is known about the topic? Widespread uptake of digital solutions has afforded the Australian health system wide-ranging benefits beyond enabling safe contact between health professionals, patients and carers to prevent disease transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. What does this paper add? Current approaches to health facility generation or redevelopment do not support optimal use of virtual models of care demonstrates the lost opportunities for care quality and efficiency. Realising the benefits of virtual care is contingent upon its effective integration into healthcare systems, from planning to delivery. What are the implications for practitioners? Successful adoption and sustainment of best-practice virtual care necessitate support for behavioural change. Adoption and sustainment may be best achieved by using co-design approaches to determine optimal models for virtual care. Measures to establish the safety and quality of care using virtual modes and between different modes of care, settings and populations are also essential for system-wide evaluation.

What is known about the topic? Parliamentary inquiries are rare instances where patients and their families/carers can contribute to high-level health policy development. What does this paper add? While healthcare and health policy development have become increasingly patient-centric, stakeholder engagement is often driven by other, more powerful stakeholder groups (e.g doctors, non-government organisations etc.). A parliamentary inquiry represents a unique approach towards engaging stakeholders, allowing for direct contribution and empowerment of everyday Australians. This is the first study that explores the translation of patient and family/carer concerns by the parliamentary inquiry process and the extent these concerns are addressed by policy reform. What are the implications for practitioners? Parliamentary inquiries have the potential to develop and reform high-level healthcare policy, yet lack transparency and processes for balancing stakeholder perspectives. This may lead to misaligned stakeholder priorities and inefficient healthcare policy, programs and services that do not adequately meet the needs of patients or family/carers.