Minister Reynolds has announced that SIL providers will be provided with free Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for workers and participants. Distribution will initially focus on settings with three or more participants and then extend to all SIL providers.  

These measures will be in place until June 2022 with a longer-term solution to be implemented and will replace existing arrangements where SIL providers claim for the cost of RAT’s for workers directly from the NDIA.  

NDS is aware that some States and Territories are also supporting the sector with priority access to RATs and this announcement will assist in alleviating the supply issues that have been widely experienced. 

NDS has been in discussions with Minister Reynolds and the NDIA requesting that a more sustainable and appropriate mechanism be established to as a matter of urgency.  

NDS has been hearing reports in recent days of members providing SIL supports being contacted by the NDIA and receiving deliveries of RATs and is pleased that our call for free tests to be made available to the sector has been partially heard. 

While we recognise that accommodation settings are particularly high risk, NDS continues to advocate for these measures to be extended to all NDIS supports. RATs should be made available free to people with disability and the staff who support them.  

Other measures such as a limited number of free RATs being available for concession cardholders from pharmacies will only go some way to meeting the needs of people with disabilities.  

It is also not appropriate to expect participants to use their existing Core budget to buy RATs for themselves and their workers or to ask providers to negotiate with individual participants fund tools such as RATs and PPE that have been recognised key mechanisms in preventing and managing outbreaks.  

We are concerned that supply and cost issues continue to impact the safe provision of other supports including those that participants rely on a daily basis such as in home supports.