Preliminaries

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Department of Health and Ageing

Better Health | Better Care | Better Life

Our Vision

Our Role

Our People

Our Outcomes, Our Performance Reporting

Our Expenditure

2009-10 at a Glance

• reached agreement with states and territories (with the exception of Western Australia) to establish the National Health and Hospitals Network. The reforms in agreement will improve health outcomes and the sustainability of the Australian health system;
• provided an efficient and effective response to pandemic (H1N1) influenza 2009 including conducting the largest vaccination program in Australia’s history, which mitigated the effects of, and protected Australians from, the pandemic;
• worked closely with stakeholders on implementation of GP Super Clinics. A total of 21 GP Super Clinics were either completed, provided early services or were under construction by 30 June 2010. This included nine GP Super Clinic funding recipients providing early services while the construction of the new clinics is being completed. This included the GP Super Clinics in Ballan, Strathpine and Port Stephens becoming operational.
• completed negotiations with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia for the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding with Medicines Australia. The Pharmacy Agreement will save taxpayers money, provide better pharmacy services for consumers, and maintain a viable community pharmacy network, while the MoU will provide savings to taxpayers and pricing certainty to industry over the next four years;
• released the National Primary Health Care Strategy, which provides a framework through which better frontline care can be delivered to all Australians;
• finalised and released the preventative health strategy. Taking Preventative Action, the Government’s response to the Preventative Health Taskforce’s final report, was released in May 2010 and sets out future direction for preventative health through health reform;
• developed the Fourth National Mental Health Plan in partnership with all states and territories, which was endorsed by the Australian Health Ministers' Conference on 4 September 2009 and launched on 13 November 2009;
• released Australia’s first National Male Health Policy in May 2010. The policy benefits all Australian males by providing a framework for improving their health and practical suggestions for action aimed at health professionals and consumers;
• established Health Workforce Australia to facilitate national workforce planning and to support expansion of the clinical training capacity of Australia for the health workforce of the future;
• supported the Independent Sport Panel to complete and publish its report The Future of Sport in Australia. The department also supported the Government’s response to the report Australian Sport: the pathways to success;
• increased the capacity of the primary care workforce by funding 293 new positions through the Indigenous Chronic Disease Package in Aboriginal community controlled health services and the Divisions of General Practice Network;
• managed the Health and Hospitals Fund, through which three major cancer centres, 17 hospital infrastructure projects, 12 translational research and training facilities and 23 rural primary care infrastructure projects are funded. The funding of 20 regional cancer centres was also announced;
• improved health infrastructure and access to healthcare services in rural and remote communities by funding 67 projects for capital works and equipment;
• supported counselling and family tracking for 4,958 Bringing Them Home and Link Up services clients resulting in 117 reunions for members of the Stolen Generations;
• developed five new national strategies to combat rising blood borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections for the period 2010-13 including the introduction of Australia’s first national strategy for hepatitis B;
• funded new radiation oncology facilities in Darwin (Northern Territory) and Lismore (New South Wales) which became operational in 2009-10, providing local access to cancer treatment for patients in those locations;
• commenced the national roll-out of the Better Oral Health in Residential Care training for staff in residential aged care facilities, multi-purpose services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flexible care services. More than 4,000 nursing staff and nominated trainers were trained using a train-the-trainer model so they can, in turn, train care workers in daily oral hygiene for residents of aged care facilities;
• produced and distributed more than 600,000 DVDs in conjunction with Laurie Lawrence on water safety for children under five years of age, aiming to reduce drowning and water accidents amongst children;
• managed the issuing of vouchers for eligible clients resulting in a 4.8 per cent increase in the number of clients who accessed hearing services, from 541,883 in 2008-09 to 568,293 in 2009-10; and
• implemented a new Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for Community Care which affirms the right of every person to freedom and respect and the right to be treated fairly by others, including when a person moves into a nursing home or hostel.

• the commitment, achievements and development of all staff;
• accountability to our Ministers and Parliamentary Secretary, Parliament and the public;
• working with other agencies to achieve results for the Australian Government and community;
• open and constructive consultation with professionals, providers, industry and community groups;
• diversity, which is reflected in the management of our business and in the delivery of our programs;
• developing, delivering and evaluating programs effectively;
• being aware of our responsibilities and managing our own performance;
• using resources efficiently;
• working in an apolitical, fair, professional and ethical manner;
• commitment to quality, professionalism, innovation and flexibility; and
• our ability to apply our skills and training to the delivery of better health and ageing outcomes.

Our Way Forward

• deliver major reforms through implementing the National Health and Hospitals Network Agreement;
• finalise the new National Strategic Framework for Rural and Remote Health. The framework aims to develop a national approach to address the issues facing rural health services, and will respond to some of the more urgent service priority areas in rural and remote health, namely: maternity services; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health; emergency care; health promotion and prevention; chronic disease management; drugs and alcohol; mental health; oral health; and the care of older people;
• work to implement the Australian Government’s National Health and Hospitals Network program Improved Primary Care Infrastructure. The program will improve the quality and accessibility of primary health care services by investing in the construction of additional GP Super Clinics. The department will also commence offering grants for the new GP Super Clinics announced in the 2010-11 Budget;
• fund the establishment and operation of up to 30 new headspace sites. These sites will be fully operational by 2013-14. The department will also provide additional funding for the current 30 sites to ensure sustainability of the initiative;
• conduct a further funding round under the Health and Hospitals fund, which will provide capital funding to projects that will help improve the health of Australians living in regional areas;
• work with the NT Aboriginal Health Forum partners to introduce primary health care service planning to improve primary health care in the Northern Territory;
• link the Medicare Locals program with the Rural Primary Health Services Program. This has the potential to reduce duplication in service delivery and improve the already strong links with local communities. This will also drive improved access to and integration across primary health care as well as helping to address the difficulty in recruiting and retaining suitably qualified staff for primary health care service delivery in rural and remote areas;
• commence implementation of the National Health and Hospitals Network program Improving Access to After Hours Primary Care. The department will develop a telephone-based GP medical advice and diagnostic helpline which will be added to the Healthdirect Australia service from 1 July 2011, providing access to GP care outside normal practice hours;
• evaluate the National Suicide Prevention Program and establish more formal joint planning processes between the Australian Government and state and territory governments;
• continue to work with the McGrath Foundation to ensure the retention of breast care nurses in areas where they can provide vital information, care, and practical and emotional support to women diagnosed with breast cancer, their families and carers;
• commence work on the new funding arrangements for practice nurses. A new simplified single funding stream, commencing on 1 January 2012, will replace the current funding provided through the Practice Incentives Program Practice Nurse Incentive and the Medicare Benefits Schedule;
• run a new anti-tobacco campaign ;
• finalise the first mass casualty operational plan developed under the National Emergency Health Response Arrangements;
• commence work on implementing a personally controlled electronic health record system as part of the Government’s National Health and Hospitals Network;
• complete four reviews of existing MBS items. A key component of the MBS Quality Framework is to implement a systematic approach to reviewing existing MBS items. The primary focus of the reviews is to identify and evaluate current MBS services which are potentially unsafe, ineffective, or inappropriately used;
• review the National Aged Care Advocacy Program to ensure it meets the challenging needs of clients. This program provides independent advocacy services to recipients or potential recipients of Government subsidised aged care services by investigating and acting on concerns raised about care or services; and
• continue to explore opportunities to strengthen the financial management of the blood sector and ensure sustainability in the provision of blood products and services into the future.

Preface

About this Report

Structure of the Report

2009-10 Overview

Part 1: About the Department

Part 2: Performance Reporting

Part 3: Management Arrangements

Part 4: Accountability Reporting

Part 5: Financial Statements

Part 6: Contact Details

Appendices and Index

1 For further discussion of the department’s values, please see the Department of Health and Ageing Corporate Plan 2006-09,available at www.health.gov.au.

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