2010-11 At a Glance

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In 2010-11, the department:

• continued to implement key elements common to both the April 2010 National Health and Hospital Agreement and the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Heads of Agreement - National Health Reform, signed by the Commonwealth and all states and territories on 13 February 2011, while also contributing to the development of a detailed National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA). The NHRA was agreed by all states and territories on 2 August 2011.
• worked collaboratively with the states and territories and provided funding under the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services for more than 340 projects in more than 145 hospitals across Australia. These projects include extending emergency departments, buying equipment to improve surgery, and expanding the workforce to deliver better care.
• worked with the states and territories to support their establishment of Local Hospital Networks. Under the Heads of Agreement - National Health Reform, states and territories agreed to implement the first group of Local Hospital Networks by 1 July 2011 (NSW Networks became operational from 1 January 2011), with remaining Networks to be established by 1 July 2012.
• engaged the first 19 Medicare Locals to improve the integration and coordination of primary health care services with hospitals and aged care services for the benefit of local communities.
• ensured 31 GP Super Clinics either commenced, provided early services or were under construction by 30 June 2011.
• improved access to quality after hours primary care advice, information and support through the introduction of the after hours GP helpline on 1 July 2011.
• assisted in establishing the Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA) to drive preventive health policy and programs, such as major social marketing campaigns on tobacco use, obesity and binge drinking.
• developed world first legislation to mandate the plain packaging of tobacco products.
• managed the transition and expansion of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care from within the department to an independent, permanent statutory authority.
• assisted the independent HHF Advisory Board to consider 237 applications under the HHF Round Three Regional Priority Round. The HHF Advisory Board found that 114 applications met the HHF evaluation criteria. The Australian Government subsequently selected 63 projects to receive funding totalling $1.33 billion over 5 years from 2011-12.
• engaged extensively with external stakeholders, including experts, service providers, consumers and their carers to develop and plan implementation of the 2011-12 Delivering National Mental Health Reform Budget package, at the same time undertaking activities to build capacity of the mental health system through existing initiatives.
• expanded the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program to increase maternity and eye care services.
• worked closely with General Practice Education and Training Limited to fill 900 GP training places on the Australian General Practice Training Program, for the 2011 training year.
• increased training posts in 2011 under the Specialist Training Program to 518.
• implemented the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement, which commenced on 1 July 2010.
• undertook a Strategic Review of the department to better align resources within the portfolio to ensure that the department is best placed to deliver on key health priorities and programs, including the National Health Reform Agenda and to also respond to emerging health and ageing challenges over the medium and longer term.
• completed the largest vaccination program in Australia’s history, the National Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Vaccination Program, which finished on 31 December 2010.
• continued to provide international support through a second donation of 1.7 million doses of pandemic influenza vaccine to the World Health Organization in September 2010.
• increased the capacity of the primary care workforce by funding over 363 new positions nationally (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers; and Indigenous Health Project Officers) through the Indigenous Chronic Disease Package.
• upgraded 29 BreastScreen Australia services to digital mammography from analogue technology.
• facilitated the completion of a new five year Pathology Funding Agreement between the Government and the pathology sector, which was signed in April 2011.
• established a new national phone number (1800 200 422) and improved the Aged Care Australia Website (www.agedcareaustralia.gov.au) as the first steps in the implementation of a new front end for aged care (operational 1 July 2011).
• managed the Hearing Services Program, which saw 599,581 eligible clients receive access to hearing services.
• provided 48,954 health assessments in 2010-11 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over. This was an increase of 64% over the same period in 2009-10.
• responded quickly to natural disasters and worked with the state governments to ensure that the support and services provided to residents affected by widespread flooding across several states in Eastern Australia and by Cyclone Yasi were well targeted and coordinated. The department also provided additional funding to Divisions of General Practice in those parts of Queensland most affected by the 2010-11 floods and Cyclone Yasi to increase the number of focussed psychological services provided to the individuals affected.
• improved access to GP services for regional, rural and remote communities through the Rural GP Locum Program – this program has exceeded expectations by achieving 265 targeted GP locum placements and 1,866 locum service days in rural and remote Australia.
• developed the MyHospitals website, the first website to publish nationally consistent hospital-level performance information (www.myhospitals.gov.au). The MyHospitals website was launched by the Minister for Health and Ageing on 10 December 2010.
• continued to educate Australians about positive health behaviours through continuing social marketing campaigns and supporting the ANPHA to introduce two major campaigns: Swap It and Every Cigarette Brings Cancer Closer / Stop Smoking, Start Repairing.

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