Australian Health Ministers communique
Reform of the regulatory and accreditation environment for the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Sector Health Ministers agreed that all Australians should have confidence in the ART services they access. Health Ministers commissioned a rapid review of ART in June. The Review found the current self-regulatory approach lacks the transparency and rigour that governments and the community expect, especially with the emergence of large private equity providers.
Today, Ministers agreed to reforms which offer a pathway to restore confidence, independence, and transparency in the ART sector. Ministers noted the current industry-led accreditation is not adequate. Ministers agreed that the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) should provide independent accreditation for ART services, against updated national standards. These will include performance monitoring metrics, workforce and staffing guidance, and clearer complaints pathways.
Work will commence immediately and the new accreditation requirements will be in place by January 2027. This work will complement state and territory regulation, which remains crucial in protecting consumers and ensuring ethical and transparent delivery of ART services.
Ministers also agreed to undertake national engagement with consumers, donors, and donor-conceived people to inform reform design. This will ensure inclusive, co-designed policy development, exploring emerging concerns such as informal sperm donation and donor limits. Ministers endorsed referring to the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) a request to review relevant legislation with a view to modernising and moving towards consistent state legislation. This aligns with existing ALRC reviews into surrogacy and human tissue laws.
Ministers noted that immediate work will get underway on these recommendations. That said, the implementation of the full suite of recommendations will take some time, allowing reform work to be informed by the voices of consumers and findings from the ALRC’s review.
