‘Disappointing news’: Government pulls Clinical Taskforce funding

Description

Formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Clinical Evidence Taskforce still hopes to attract support for its work.

The Federal Government will cease funding the National Clinical Evidence Taskforce at the end of the year.
 
Professor Mark Morgan, who is the co-Chair of the Taskforce’s Primary and Chronic Care Expert panel, as well as representing the RACGP on the Guideline Leadership Group, described the decision as ‘disappointing news’.
 
‘Since early in the pandemic, the Clinical Evidence Taskforce has been providing impactful, careful and independent treatment guidelines for COVID-19,’ he told newsGP.
 
The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoH) informed the Taskforce this week that it will not be contracted to produce COVID-19 clinical guidelines beyond 31 December.
 
The DoH is understood to be the main funding source for the Taskforce, which was set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to give ‘living guidelines’ for caring for and treating those with the disease. The DoH did not address a newsGP query about the exact funding it contributed...

Professor Morgan, however, queries whether the Taskforce’s work can be undertaken in the same way elsewhere.
 
‘I wonder if there is any group able to replace the scientific rigour and processes to keep a living guideline alive,’ he said.
 
‘I am certainly not aware of another group able to replicate this work and certainly not with the support of so many member organisations.’
 

Subject

Health Policy

Clinical Practice Guidelines