An Australian delegation recently launched the Australian Consensus Framework for Ethical Collaboration in the Healthcare Sector (ACF) at the 2018 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum in Tokyo on 20 July 2018.
The ACF is designed to promote shared values and ethical principles for collaboration and interaction amongst organisations in the healthcare sector.
The Framework has the support of Federal Minister for Health the Hon Greg Hunt, endorsement from every state and territory health department, and the support of representatives from across the Australian healthcare community. Federal Minister for Health the Hon Greg Hunt MP offered the full endorsement of the Australian Government, commended the leadership and initiative of those involved, and suggested the Framework could provide a model for other countries.
In recognition of the considerable effort in developing the ACF, Australia was acknowledged at the meeting for its ethical leadership and awarded the ‘APEC Business Ethics for SMEs 2018 Lighthouse Award’ by the U.S Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia, who publicly recognised the ACF as the largest initiative in the world of its type.
Amongst the 50 signatories to the document are those members who participated in the formal signing of the document at the APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum, including representatives of the biopharmaceutical and medical device sectors, healthcare and hospital associations, and clinician practitioner organisations.
Australia awarded the ‘APEC Business Ethics for SMEs 2018 Lighthouse Award’