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Portfolio Outcomes

Outcomes are the Government’s intended results, benefits or consequences for the Australian community. The Government requires agencies, such as the Department, to use outcomes as a basis for budgeting, measuring performance and reporting. Annual administered funding is appropriated on an outcomes basis.

Portfolio Outcome structure

As at 30 June 2012, Health and Ageing portfolio worked within a 31 outcome structure. Fourteen outcomes were specific to the Department. The remaining 17 were specific to the portfolio agencies.

In 2011-12, the portfolio outcome structure was amended to include two new portfolio agencies:

the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, to determine a national efficient price for hospital services; and
the National Health Performance Authority, to develop high quality, locally relevant and nationally consistent performance reports on Local Hospitals Networks, public hospitals, private hospitals, and other bodies that provide primary health care services.

Department-Specific Outcomes

Listed below are the 14 outcomes relevant to the Department, the programs managed under each outcome, and the Divisions responsible as at 30 June 2012.

Outcome 1 Population Health A reduction in the incidence of preventable mortality and morbidity in Australia, including through regulation and national initiatives that support healthy lifestyles and disease prevention.
Programs	Divisions and Agencies Responsible
1.1: Prevention, Early Detection and Service Improvement 1.2: Communicable Disease Control 1.3: Drug Strategy 1.4: Regulatory Policy 1.5: Immunisation 1.6: Public Health	Mental Health and Drug Treatment Division National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme Office of the Gene Technology Regulator Office of Health Protection Population Health Division Primary and Ambulatory Care Division Regulatory Policy and Governance Division Therapeutic Goods Administration
Outcome 2 Access to Pharmaceutical Services Access to cost-effective medicines, including through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and related subsidies, and assistance for medication management through industry partnerships.
Programs	Division Responsible
2.1: Community Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Awareness 2.2: Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Services 2.3: Targeted Assistance – Pharmaceuticals 2.4: Targeted Assistance – Aids and Appliances	Pharmaceutical Benefits Division
Outcome 3 Access to Medical Services Access to cost-effective medical, practice nursing and allied health services, including through Medicare subsidies for clinically relevant services.
Programs	Divisions Responsible
3.1: Medicare Services 3.2: Targeted Assistance – Medical 3.3: Diagnostic Imaging Services 3.4: Pathology Services 3.5: Chronic Disease – Radiation Oncology	Acute Care Division Medical Benefits Division Population Health Division
Outcome 4 Aged Care and Population Ageing Access to quality and affordable aged care and carer support services for older people, including through subsidies and grants, industry assistance, training and regulation of the aged care sector.
Programs	Divisions Responsible
4.1: Aged Care Assessment 4.2: Aged Care Workforce 4.3: Ageing Information and Support 4.4: Community Care 4.5: Culturally Appropriate Aged Care 4.6: Residential Care 4.7: Flexible Aged Care	Ageing and Aged Care Division Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance (The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd also contributed to the achievement of this Outcome.)
Outcome 5 Primary Care Access to comprehensive, community-based health care, including through first point of call services for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ill-health, and for ongoing management of chronic disease.
Programs	Division Responsible
5.1: Primary Care Education and Training 5.2: Primary Care Financing, Quality and Access 5.3: Primary Care Practice Incentives	Primary and Ambulatory Care Division
Outcome 6 Rural Health Access to health services for people living in rural, regional and remote Australia, including through health infrastructure and outreach services.
Program	Division Responsible
6.1: Rural Health Services	Primary and Ambulatory Care Division
Outcome 7 Hearing Services A reduction in the incidence and consequence of hearing loss, including through research and prevention activities, and access to hearing services and devices for eligible people.
Program	Division Responsible
7.1: Hearing Services	Regulatory Policy and Governance Division
Outcome 8 Indigenous Health Closing the gap in life expectancy and child mortality rates for Indigenous Australians, including through primary health care, child and maternal health, and substance use services.
Program	Divisions Responsible
8.1: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health	Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Mental Health and Drug Treatment Division
Outcome 9 Private Health Improved choice in health services by supporting affordable quality private health care, including through private health insurance rebates and a regulatory framework.
Program	Divisions Responsible
9.1: Private Health Insurance	Medical Benefits Division Acute Care Division
Outcome 10 Health System Capacity and Quality Improved long-term capacity, quality and safety of Australia’s health care system to meet future health needs, including through investment in health infrastructure, international engagement, consistent performance reporting and research.
Programs	Divisions Responsible
10.1: Chronic Disease – Treatment 10.2: eHealth Implementation 10.3: Health Information 10.4: International Policy Engagement 10.5: Research Capacity and Quality 10.6: Health Infrastructure	Acute Care Division eHealth Division Office of Health Protection Pharmaceutical Benefits Division Population Health Division Portfolio Strategies Division Primary and Ambulatory Care Division Regulatory Policy and Governance Division
Outcome 11 Mental Health Improved mental health and suicide prevention, including through targeted prevention, identification, early intervention and health care services.
Program	Division Responsible
11.1: Mental Health	Mental Health and Drug Treatment Division
Outcome 12 Health Workforce Capacity Improved capacity, quality and mix of the health workforce to meet the requirements of health services, including through training, registration, accreditation and distribution strategies.
Programs	Divisions Responsible
12.1: Workforce and Rural Distribution 12.2: Workforce Development and Innovation	Health Workforce Division Primary and Ambulatory Care Division
Outcome 13 Acute Care Improved access to public hospitals, acute care services and public dental services, including through targeted strategies, and payments to state and territory governments.
Programs	Divisions Responsible
13.1: Blood and Organ Donation Services 13.2: Medical Indemnity 13.3: Public Hospitals and Information	Acute Care Division Medical Benefits Division Regulatory Policy and Governance Division
Outcome 14 Biosecurity and Emergency Response Preparedness to respond to national health emergencies and risks, including through surveillance, regulation, prevention, detection and leadership in national health coordination.
Program	Divisions Responsible
14.1: Health Emergency Planning and Response	Office of Health Protection Regulatory Policy and Governance Division

Portfolio Agency-Specific Outcomes

Listed below is the Outcome belonging to each Health and Ageing portfolio agency in 2011-12. Agencies’ performance against these Outcomes is reported in their respective annual report.

Portfolio Agency and outcome

Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd

Outcome High quality residential aged care for older people, including through accrediting Australian Government funded aged care homes, identifying best practice, and providing information and education to the aged care sector.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

Outcome Improved safety and quality in health care across the health system, including through the development, support for implementation, and monitoring of national clinical safety and quality guidelines and standards.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Outcome A robust evidence-base for the health, housing and community sectors, including through developing and disseminating comparable health and welfare information and statistics.

Australian National Preventive Health Agency

Outcome A reduction in the prevalence of preventable disease, including through research and evaluation to build the evidence base for future action, and by managing lifestyle education campaigns and developing partnerships with non-government sectors.

Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority

Outcome Improved access to organ and tissue transplants, including through a nationally coordinated and consistent approach and system.

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

Outcome Protection of people and the environment through radiation protection and nuclear safety research, policy, advice, codes, standards, services and regulation.

Cancer Australia

Outcome Minimised impacts of cancer, including through national leadership in cancer control, with targeted research, cancer service development, education and consumer support.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Outcome A safe food supply and well-informed consumers in Australia and New Zealand, including through the development of food regulatory measures and the promotion of their consistent implementation, coordination of food recall activities and the monitoring of consumer and industry food practices.

General Practice Education and Training Ltd

Outcome Improved quality and access to primary care across Australia, including through general practitioner vocational education and training for medical graduates.

Health Workforce Australia

Outcome Improved health workforce capacity, including through a national approach to workforce policy and planning across all health disciplines, which effectively integrates research, education and training.

Independent Hospital Pricing Authority¹⁸

Outcome Promote improved efficiency in, and access to, public hospital services primarily through setting efficient national prices and levels of block funding for hospital activities.

National Blood Authority

Outcome Access to a secure supply of safe and affordable blood products, including through national supply arrangements and coordination of best practice standards within agreed funding policies under the national blood arrangements.

National Health and Medical Research Council

Outcome health and medical knowledge, including through funding research, translating research findings into evidence-based clinical practice, administering legislation governing research, issuing guidelines and advice for ethics in health and the promotion of public health.

National Health Performance Authority¹⁹

Outcome Contribute to transparent and accountable health care services in Australia, including through the provision of independent performance monitoring and reporting; the formulation of performance indicators; and conducting and evaluating research.

Private Health Insurance Administration Council

Outcome Prudential safety and competitiveness of the private health insurance industry in the interests of consumers, including through efficient industry regulation.

Private Health Insurance Ombudsman

Outcome Public confidence in private health insurance, including through consumer and provider complaint and enquiry investigations, and performance monitoring and reporting.

Professional Services Review

Outcome A reduction of the risks to patients and costs to the Australian Government of inappropriate clinical practice, including through investigating health services claimed under the Medicare and Pharmaceutical benefits schemes.

The National Health Reform Amendment (Independent Hospital Pricing Authority) Act 2011 established the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority as a permanent statutory body and it commenced operation on 15 December 2011.
The National Health Reform Amendment (National Health Performance Authority) Act 2011 established the National Health Performance Authority as a permanent statutory body and it commenced its operation on 21 October 2011.

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