SIRA and icare renew partnership with rehabilitation research centre

The New South Wales (NSW) State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) and Insurance and Care NSW (icare) have renewed their partnership with the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research (JWCRR).

For 20 years, SIRA and icare have partnered with the JWCRR to improve the lives of people living with an injury-related disability.

As part of the renewed agreement, both NSW compensation agencies granted $9.6 million over five years to the research centre to fund its core senior academic positions to undertake their widely recognised work in rehabilitation research, knowledge translation, and evaluation.

SIRA chief executive Adam Dent said the grants will build on the compensation agency's ongoing investment into research to support the health and recovery outcomes for injured people in NSW.

“In the last five years, the JWCRR has leveraged almost $40 million in funding from SIRA and icare's $5.32 million investment to continue their research activities,” Dent said.

“The outcomes of this research directly benefit injured people in both SIRA's personal injury schemes by providing evidence-based advice, informing policy, and legislative changes. We are delighted to continue this successful partnership to make personal injury schemes in NSW sustainable and improve the outcomes of people who make claims.”

Read more: SIRA makes changes to workers' compensation and motor accident schemes

A named Centre of the University of Sydney and a research group within the Northern Sydney Local Health District Kolling Institute, the JWCRR aims to:

• Generate new knowledge to improve health outcomes of people with injury-related disabillities;
• Promote links with the research community, partner organisations, patient advocacy groups, and non-governmental organisations to ensure effective transfer of research outcomes into health policy; and
• Improve clinical care for people with injury-related disability and translate research outcomes into clinical practice.

According to SIRA, previous grants to the JWCRR had significantly impacted the NSW personal injury sector, including legislation change (e.g., CTP reform), guideline development and revision, improved support for claimants, and tool development to support cost recovery and reductions in premiums.

Professor Ian Cameron, head of the JWCRR, commented: “This partnership centres on a shared desire to facilitate evidence-informed treatment and recovery, and the funds from SIRA and icare ensure my team can continue to build on our successful body of work to support stakeholders across the NSW personal injury sector.”

Richard Harding, CEO and managing director of icare, said the centre's research was invaluable in supporting people with injuries, building a knowledge repository that is now used in over 140 countries.

He said: “Getting the right care and support for injured people is paramount, and this investment will continue to ensure NSW stays at the forefront on treatments and recovery pathways for severely injured people.”