Dear colleagues
It’s hard to comprehend we are approaching the end of our third year of living with COVID-19. What an extraordinary time to be in healthcare as clinicians, researchers, managers and policymakers. There is no denying the fatigue facing our workforce and we hope this period of relative stability continues.
We know we must be prepared for new challenges in COVID-19 and beyond, and the COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce (the Taskforce) is committed to supporting Australian clinicians with up-to-date evidence-based guidance as new data emerges.
The Taskforce and its National Steering Committee has been considering how we can best extend the success of this living guidelines model, and the pioneering multidisciplinary collaboration between our 35-member organisations.
Our members have unanimously agreed to continue the Taskforce’s remarkable alliance and provide evidence-based guidance for urgent and emerging diseases. This means that we have a new name – the National Clinical Evidence Taskforce – and a new-look logo.
As part of this exciting evolution, we are delighted to announce that the Taskforce will today publish the first set of recommendations from a new treatment guideline for monkeypox (that is MPX). This work would not have been possible without the collaboration of our newest member organisation, the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). We thank the Walter Cottman Endowment Fund managed by Equity Trustees for once again supporting living guidelines and providing funds to commence this work.
We also welcome a new expert panel of both clinicians and consumers and we’re very grateful for their time, expertise and insights.
Of course, the Taskforce will continue to develop and update our COVID-19 guidance for both acute and long COVID as new evidence emerges, recognising the need for clear and trusted national advice in these uncertain times.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all our expert clinical contributors for their inspiring and ongoing commitment to reviewing, considering and developing guidance to support our clinical colleagues. It’s been a privilege for us to lead this project and we look forward to this new chapter as the National Clinical Evidence Taskforce.
Professor Caroline Homer Associate Professor Steve McGloughlin
Steering Committee Chair Executive Director