2007–08 was a period of significant change with the pre-election caretaker period and the subsequent change of government. The caretaker period raises a number of challenges in continuing to administer major programs, whilst with a new government also comes a new focus and a new set of priorities.
In December 2007, The Hon Nicola Roxon MP was appointed as the Minister for Health and Ageing, The Hon Justine Elliot MP was appointed as Minister for Ageing, and The Hon Kate Ellis MP became Minister for Sport. In addition, Senator The Hon Jan McLucas was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing. I am pleased with the way in which the Department responded to the change of government, as we deliver the new Government’s priorities for health and ageing and worked on implementing their election commitments.
The main focus of the majority of the 2007–08 year has been working with the Government to develop and implement new directions in health care. Key features of this are outlined in this overview, including a greater focus on preventative health, closing the 17 year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and increased collaboration across all levels of government.
Preventable chronic illnesses including obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes and other effects of alcohol, drugs and smoking impose a huge toll on our community. They also impose a significant cost on our health system.
Prevention is not only a key focus for improving quality of life, but also heading off an unsustainable burden of chronic disease, taking pressure off our public hospitals, and improving our workforce participation and productivity. A recently released report commissioned by the Department showed the annual social costs of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs have grown to $56.1 billion in 2004–05.
The Department has continued to rise to this challenge on a number of fronts. In 2007–08, the Department worked towards preventing the incidence and impact of breast, ovarian, bowel, cervical and skin cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity and illicit drug use, through early detection/screening, research and awareness campaigns and programs. This year also saw the transfer of the sport function from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts to the Department of Health and Ageing in recognition of sport and physical activity as key elements of the preventative health agenda.
A focus and significant challenge for this year for the Department has been bridging the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. In 2007–08, the Department worked collaboratively with other Commonwealth and State agencies on developing and implementing measures to address the Government’s commitment to close the 17 year life expectancy gap and reduce child mortality rates. This includes: commencing implementation of the New Directions initiative which will deliver additional child and maternal health services, including nurse home visiting, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies and health checks for Indigenous children before starting school; and reducing alcohol and substance use and its impact on the families, safety and community wellbeing in remote Indigenous communities.
This year saw the Department working hard towards realising reforms that aimed to improve the sustainability and performance of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the aged care sector.
Throughout 2007–08, the Department also worked on a comprehensive Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Reform package. Streamlined authority arrangements commenced on 1 July 2007 to reduce the administrative burden on prescribers, and allow them to spend more time with their patients by removing the need to contact Medicare Australia before prescribing. The Department also introduced new price disclosure arrangements and included incentives for pharmacy and software vendors to process their Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims online.
The Department developed and implemented several significant reforms in the funding of care and accommodation in aged care homes on 20 March 2008. These reforms included a new Aged Care Funding Instrument and Accommodation Supplement; and improved the fairness of the aged care income test, and simplified the fees and charges paid by residents.
An accessible health workforce is essential to the provision of quality health services. This year the Department continued to build the health workforce to meet community needs. In collaboration with State and Territory Governments, the Department worked towards ensuring that only health professionals who are suitably trained and qualified to practise in a competent and ethical manner are registered as well as reducing the red tape associated with separate state and territory systems for the registration of health professionals and accreditation of their education and training; making it easier for health professionals to work across borders. We also implemented and private sector hospitals and hospital groups to encourage nurses to return to the nursing workforce in public or private hospitals and residential aged care homes.
In addition to delivering these reforms, the Department also dealt with its ongoing work, and efficiently administered a budget of $45.8 billion.
While survival rates for many common cancers have improved in recent years, cancer still remains a leading cause of death in Australia. Cancer control remained a priority for the Department in 2007–08. This year, the Department continued to implement the Strengthening Cancer Care initiative to reduce the burden of cancer in Australia. The Department continued to fund the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre and the Breast Cancer Network Australia to deliver programs to improve information, awareness, early detection, and treatment of breast and ovarian cancers.
In 2007–08, the Department also continued the rollout of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. Approximately 80 Australians die from bowel cancer each week. Of all cancers, bowel cancer is perhaps the one where earlier detection and better treatment can most affect survival and quality of life. During the year, approximately 627,000 invitations to participate in screening were sent to Australians turning 55 or 65 years of age in all states and territories, and those involved in the pilot program. Just over 40 per cent of people invited chose to participate in screening and in the first eighteen months of the program, data reported to the register showed that 28 confirmed cancers, 529 suspected cancers and 1,311 confirmed adenomas (pre-cancerous conditions) had been detected.
In February 2008, the Department entered into arrangements with the Victorian Cytology Service for the development and operation of the HPV Register to help combat cervical cancer. The register is collecting vaccination information that will be used to support the human papilloma virus vaccination program. Information collected by the register will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine in reducing cervical cancer in the longer term, and to inform future policy.
The Department developed and implemented a second phase of the National Skin Cancer Awareness Campaign, to educate young Australians aged 13 to 24 years about the importance of protecting themselves from skin cancer. The campaign aims to reinforce the seriousness of, and young people’s susceptibility to, skin cancer caused by cumulative exposure to the sun and sunburn.
Media activity ran during January and February 2008 which included a confronting television commercial and other advertising materials highlighting the risks associated with skin cancer. The campaign will continue in 2008–09 with advertising and public relations activities building on the successes achieved to date.
The National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey was finalised in 2007–08. This major achievement resulted in the collection of data on the foods consumed and physical activities undertaken by over 4,000 children aged 2 to 16 years. The survey also measured data on height, weight and waist circumference. The survey will help to inform future policy initiatives to address overweight and obesity, and micro nutrient deficiencies in children. It will also inform the review of Australia’s nutrition guidelines being undertaken by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
The Department prepared for implementation of the Commonwealth’s component of the Council of Australian Governments reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes initiative in 2007–08. This involved developing a new Medicare Item – Type 2 Diabetes Risk Evaluation. Released on 1 July 2008, the item enables general practitioners to review patients aged 40 to 49 years who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and instigate early interventions to help prevent the disease.
The Department implemented the Government’s decision that the current Australian Health Care Agreements will be extended for 12 months (to the end of June 2009) with an extra $500 million provided in 2007–08. This funding will assist the states and territories to deliver free public hospital services to the community. In 2006–07, 84 per cent of patients were admitted for elective surgery within the recommended time, compared with 81 per cent in 2005–06. This year, we worked with the states and territories to implement the first stages of the Elective Survey Waiting List Reduction Plan to further reduce the number of people waiting longer than clinically recommended for surgery, and progressed the second stage to provide additional funding for system improvements to states and territories’ capacity to provide elective surgery.
The issue of illicit drugs remains a significant concern among the Australian public, particularly with parents of young people, and the National Drugs Campaign is being funded for another four years with the aim of contributing to a reduction in the uptake of methamphetamines such as ‘Ice’.
The Department developed and implemented the third phase of the National Drugs Campaign which targeted Parents and young people, to convey the risks of using marijuana, ecstasy and speed. The campaign featured a major focus on the drug ‘Ice’, and included a new and confronting television commercial and other advertising warning of the dangers of this drug and the devastating impact that it can have on health, relationships and the community.
Addressing the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continued to be a priority in 2007–08. The Department worked collaboratively with other Commonwealth and State agencies on developing and implementing measures to address the Government’s commitment to close the 17 year life expectancy gap and reduce child mortality rates. This includes: commencing implementation of the New Directions initiative ($112 million) which will deliver additional child and maternal health services, including nurse home visiting, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies and health checks for Indigenous children before starting school; and reducing alcohol and substance use and its impact on the families, safety and community wellbeing in remote Indigenous communities ($49 million).
The Department also worked with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission on the National Indigenous Health Equality Summit which led to the signing of the ‘Statement of Intent’ on closing the gap, initiatives on smoking and workforce, and the decision to establish the National Indigenous Health Equality Council.
Another major focus was the implementation of the Northern Territory Emergency Response in response to the Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle Little Children are Sacred report. The Department directly deployed over 100 Child Health Check teams, involving over 260 health care professionals who have provided 9,454 Indigenous child health checks across the Northern Territory. In partnership with the Northern Territory Government and the Aboriginal community controlled health sector, follow-up primary health care, hearing assessments and specialist ear, nose and throat, dental and paediatric services were also delivered to children assessed with additional health needs in the initial health checks.
The Department also commenced the establishment of a project to improve Quality Use of Medicines and access to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines for clients of participating Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in rural and urban areas of Australia. In the 12 months to May 2008, the number of Medicare Benefits Schedule health assessments provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people increased by 9,633 compared to the previous year; 6,090 of those were child health checks.
While there have been some early, and hopeful signs that this concentrated effort is making a difference, the Department will continue to focus on improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with an improved whole of government focus in 2008–09.
Throughout 2007–08, the Department worked on a comprehensive Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Reform package. Streamlined authority arrangements commenced on 1 July 2007 to reduce the administrative burden on prescribers, and allow them to spend more time with their patients by removing the need to contact Medicare Australia before prescribing. The Department also introduced new price disclosure arrangements. These new arrangements will provide better value from competition, by ensuring the prices of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines more closely reflect the price at which they are sold to pharmacists. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Reform also includes incentives for pharmacy and software vendors to process their claims online. This has enabled the PBS Online program to be implemented successfully in approximately 95 per cent of pharmacies (over 4,950) nationwide.
The Department provided for optometrists accredited to prescribe under state or territory law to apply for approval as Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescribers and for certain Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme eye medicines to be listed for optometrist prescribing. These arrangements came into operation on 1 January 2008. Around 300 optometrists have been approved as Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescribers and the number is expected to grow annually. This initiative will improve access to eye medicines and contribute to eye care for the community, particularly for older people, lower income groups and people in rural areas.
The Department continued to add to the listing of high cost drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. In 2007–08, another 11 high cost drugs were listed or had their indication extended. Access to these types of drugs allows for the lives of many Australians to be extended and improved where they would otherwise not be able to afford access or benefit from these drugs. High profile recent listings include Atomoxetine (Strattera®) for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Ranibizumab (Lucentis®) and Verteporfin (Visudyne®) for age-related macular degeneration, and Taxotere (Docetaxel®) for the treatment of prostate cancer.
During 2007–08, the Department continued to work with stakeholders to make improvements to the Medicare Benefits Schedule. Key initiatives implemented during the year included work undertaken with Medicare Australia on the development of an incentives package to encourage take-up of Medicare claiming from doctors’ surgeries. Many changes to items in the Medicare Benefits Schedule Book were also undertaken in 2007–08 to ensure that services funded are clinically appropriate and relevant to the needs of Australians. To help ensure that the Medicare Benefits Schedule reflects and encourages appropriate clinical practice, the Department established the Professional Services Review Advisory Committee to oversee the workings of the Professional Services Review Scheme, and to implement the outcomes of a 2006–07 review of the scheme.
During 2007–08, the Department established the framework for the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme. Under the scheme, practices providing all diagnostic imaging services, except for cardiac imaging, nuclear medicine imaging, and obstetrical and gynaecological ultrasound, must be accredited, or be registered to become accredited, to be eligible for Medicare benefits. The scheme commenced on 1 July 2008 and ensures that all diagnostic imaging practices provide the same high quality, effective and safe Medicare services, regardless of by whom, when and where the service is performed. The second stage of the implementation process, which will be undertaken from July 2008 to 2010, will involve diagnostic imaging practices being assessed by the accreditation providers against entrylevel standards.
In 2007–08, the Department established the Hearing Loss Prevention Program. This program aims to reduce the incidence of hearing loss in the general community and its consequent impacts on productivity. It specifically targets young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those in the workplace.
The Department also established a new rehabilitation service which will improve the hearing outcomes for voucher clients. New clients fitted with free devices will receive additional support from the Australian Government Hearing Services Program to ensure that they gain the maximum benefit from these devices.
The Department developed and implemented several significant reforms in the funding of care and accommodation in aged care homes on 20 March 2008. First, through the new Aged Care Funding Instrument, the reforms better match care subsidies to care needs and target funding to those residents with higher care needs. This will help improve access to care and the quality of care for people with high needs. Second, through the new Accommodation Supplement, the reforms increased the level of assistance provided to those residents who cannot afford to pay their own accommodation costs. They also extended eligibility for this assistance to all residents with few or modest assets. This will help improve access to care for these residents. Finally, the reforms improved the fairness of the aged care income test and simplified the fees and charges paid by residents.
The Department worked collaboratively with state and territory health departments to implement the Government’s commitment for an additional 2,000 transition care places over the next four years. These places, together with the 2,000 transition care places that have already been released, will assist older people after a hospital episode by providing additional therapies and support, so that people can regain their functioning and independence. When all 4,000 transition care places are operational, up to 30,000 older people will be assisted every year. The Department allocated the first tranche of 228 additional transition care places in June 2008 and will allocate up to 2,000 places by 2010–11. The Department also managed the establishment of the Ministerial Conference on Ageing, which met for the first time on 13 June 2008. The conference was created by the Council of Australian Governments on 26 March 2008 in response to a commitment by the Australian Government. The establishment of the conference recognises the challenges of Australia’s ageing population and enables Australian ministers responsible for ageing and aged care, as well as representatives of the Australian Local Government Association, to work together to respond to these challenges.
The Department bedded down a new Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme in 2007–08. The new scheme was designed to make it easier for people to raise issues of concern and this was reflected in the scheme receiving 11,323 contacts, an increase of 50 per cent from 2006–07, under the previous Aged Care Complaints Resolution Scheme. The scheme identified breaches in 12 per cent of investigated cases. From 1 July 2007 residential care providers were required to report allegations of sexual or serious physical assault to the Department and police, and the Department received 925 reports in 2007–08. The Department is closely monitoring the implementation of this reporting requirement to assess its impact on the safety and security of people in residential aged care.
A significant new program which the Department commenced work on in 2007–08 was the implementation of the Government’s commitment to establish 31 GP Super Clinics. This program is designed to establish clinics providing multi-disciplinary primary care in areas which currently have poor access to primary care services. General practitioners will be key members of these clinics, which will also bring together a range of health professionals such as allied health workers, nurses and some specialists. GP Super Clinics will be implemented in close consultation with the local community, to ensure that they enhance and complement existing services.
The Department collaborated with state and territory health departments and specialist colleges, to gain their support for the establishment and accreditation of new medical specialist raining positions in training settings such as private hospitals, community settings and rural or regional public hospitals. A major achievement was the funding for 98 new medical specialist training positions, located in all states and territories, across a range of specialty areas including medicine, surgery, anaesthetics and pathology. This was in addition to 48 specialist training positions in expanded settings for psychiatry.
In 2007–08, the Department played a key role in the development of a national registration and accreditation scheme for nine health professions: nursing and midwifery, medicine, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, osteopathy, psychology, optometry, pharmacy and dental care (including dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists and dental prosthetists). The scheme will ensure that only health professionals who are suitably trained and qualified to practise in a competent and ethical manner are registered, and reduce the red tape associated with separate state and territory systems, making it easier for health professionals to work across borders. On 26 March 2008, the Council of Australian Governments agreed to implement the national scheme by 1 July 2010.
2007–08 also saw the Department conduct an audit on health workforce shortages in rural and regional Australia. This audit, The Report on the Audit of Health Workforce in Rural and Regional Australia, identified a range of issues associated with workforce shortage and was released by the Minister on 30 April 2008. It confirmed that regional and remote Australians continue to be disadvantaged in their access to health professions compared with their urban counterparts. In response to the audit, the Department has established an Office of Rural Health to drive reform in the rural health sector. Also, all existing programs that support rural health professionals and service delivery will be examined over the next 12 months, to determine how to better support those communities in most need of assistance.
The Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Program aims to improve community access to quality primary mental health care. Since the program’s commencement in July 2001, 7,776 general practitioners have referred over 100,000 consumers to mental health services delivered by 2,665 allied health professionals.
The Department built on this success in 2007–08, by developing new, flexible and innovative models of mental health care to address service gaps and better meet the needs of vulnerable populations. This major achievement included the start of a trial in 24 rural and remote Divisions of General Practice across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania, which will test whether telephone-based cognitive behaviour therapy is an effective way to overcome barriers to accessing services in rural and remote areas.
In 2007–08, the Department developed the National Health Security Act 2007 to provide for the exchange of public health surveillance information between health authorities. This Act received Royal Assent in November 2007, and improves health authorities’ identification and response capacities to public health events of national or international significance, such as an influenza pandemic. Signed by Health Ministers in November 2007, the National Health Security Agreement supports the Act’s practical operation and formalises decision-making and coordinated response arrangements to prepare for health emergencies.
In 2007–08, the Department replaced elements of the National Medical Stockpile that will expire over the next two years. A major achievement was the purchase of 1.2 million doses of H5N1 influenza prepandemic vaccine. Until a pandemic specific vaccine becomes available, this vaccine will be used for the protection of those at highest risk of infection, such as health care workers, in the event of an influenza pandemic. The Department financially supported the development of a prototype pandemic vaccine by the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, which has now been registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in adults and the elderly during an officially declared pandemic.
The Department also finalised work on the Quarantine Amendment (National Health Security) Act 2008, which was passed by Parliament in June 2008. In December 2007, the Department, in concert with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, implemented Ship Sanitation Certificates under the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (2005). The Ship Sanitation Certificate strengthens the control of human health on international shipping entering Australia.
A major achievement was the Department’s contribution to the control and eradication of an outbreak of equine influenza in Australia. In September 2007, the Department, through the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, supported the Parliamentary Secretary in making the Gene Technology (Equine Influenza Vaccine) Emergency Dealing Determination 2007, which temporarily authorised the importation, transportation, possession, use and disposal of two genetically modified vaccines: ProteqFlu and ProteqFlu Te.
This involved the rapid preparation of risk assessment advice by the Gene Technology Regulator, and coordination of input across the Department and with other Australian and State and Territory Government agencies. The Department also monitored compliance with the conditions of the determination, inspecting sites in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (all of which were fully compliant).
In 2007–08, the sport function was moved from the former Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts to the Department of Health and Ageing to ensure that sport and physical activity are key elements of the preventative health agenda. Links between the sport and health sectors have been strengthened, opening up opportunities for better coordinated efforts to increase physical activity, including participation in community sport.
This focus is reflected in the development of the Government’s new policy framework for sport Australian Sport: emerging challenges, new directions. The framework identifies the need to better support elite sport, and prevent chronic disease in the community through increased participation in physical activity. Priority areas include improving the status of women in sport, improving the delivery of Indigenous sport, and examining how to improve access for disabled athletes at the grassroots and elite levels.The Department will manage the implementation of the major initiatives in the policy, including an independent review of Australian sport, which will look at what is required to ensure Australia’s continued sporting success at an elite level and mechanisms to support grassroots community support and increase participation rates.
The Department delivered a number of initiatives which contributed to positive participation outcomes. During 2007–08, the Department supported the development of a range of community and major sporting and recreation facilities across Australia, through the implementation of 17 new funding agreements. This major achievement supported the establishment and redevelopment of community sport and recreation facilities, club and oval upgrades, and the purchase of sporting equipment. Through this activity, the Department aims to improve opportunities for participation in sport and recreational activities at a grassroots level; and in the case of larger sport stadiums, a wider promotion of sports and encouragement of greater community participation.
Under the Indigenous Sport and Recreation Program, funding was provided to community groups, organisations and the Australian Sports Commission to deliver enhanced opportunities for Indigenous Australians to participate in sport and physical recreation. This included funding for approximately 130 projects in urban, rural and remote areas, a network of 28 Indigenous Sport Development Officers, and for a program that provides financial assistance to support Indigenous sports people attending Australian Sports Commission recognised national and international competitions through the provision of funding for travel and accommodation.
The Department’s ability to rise to new challenges while continuing to focus on ongoing work is a reflection of the commitment and dedication of our staff.
Eighty-eight percent of staff at work on 21 November 2007 participated in the 2007 Staff Survey. This year’s results demonstrate that staff continue to be passionate and committed to the work that they do and that their jobs make good use of their skills and abilities. The culture of the Department continues to value and respect the diversity of staff, as demonstrated in the improved results for staff with a disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
While this year’s results consolidate improvements made in previous years, there is still room for improvement. In the upcoming 12 months, I look to all staff to work together to improve the application of merit and continue to reduce perceptions of bullying and harassment in the workplace.
Staff continued to lead by example in community activities. Most recently the Department won second place in the public sector category of the Canberrabased Australian Red Cross Corporate and Community Blood Donor Program for 2007. We will again compete in 2008 and competition is running apace within the Department as Central Office divisions and State and Territory offices compete for the annual Departmental Vampire Shield.
The Department’s Workplace Giving Program is maintaining strong staff support. This year, an estimated $58,000 has been donated to the fifteen identified charities. In addition to this, the Fujitsu-Health Team who participated in the 2007 Hartley Ability Cycle Challenge raised $142,000 for Hartley Lifecare, while a number of very committed staff organised fundraising activities at the local level through the collection of donations for other charities including the Blind Society, Legacy and the World Vision SMILES project.
Corporately, we strive to deliver efficient and effective people processes and services to support our staff. In response to staff requests in October 2007, we introduced HR Help, a national integrated telephone and online human resources delivery model to better meet staff needs. Feedback from staff accessing this new service is very positive, noting improved accuracy and timeliness of advice.
The majority of staff in the Department participated in the Performance Development Scheme. The introduction of an online Performance Development Scheme will deliver a more efficient process and improved monitoring and reporting capacity. Improved linkages with existing learning and development information, coupled with findings from a recent training needs analysis, will enable the Department to better identify, target, tailor and deliver on staff development needs.
The Department’s fifth collective agreement delivers a generous and flexible employment framework flowing from previous agreements. A significant achievement of the new collective agreement is that, as a four year agreement, it offers significant productivity savings. The collective agreement also offers a range of enhancements such as an annual pay increase each August, recognising the importance of parental leave through 14 weeks paid maternity leave, maintaining the focus on a healthy workplace, and encouraging the use of public transport through a reimbursement of fares scheme.
During the coming year in particular, the Department will assist the Government in the reform of the health system, through putting in place a new National Health Care Agreement for both public hospitals and prevention; better integration of preventative health care in the broader health system; and development of a new primary health care strategy.
Another high priority of the Department will also be contributing to the Council of Australian Governments’ commitment to closing the 17 year gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation, and to halving the gap in mortality rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children within a decade. In 2008–09, the Department will deliver follow-up care for child health checks under the Northern Territory Emergency Response and strengthen its long-term commitment toimprove primary health care services in the Northern Territory.
The Preventative Health Taskforce was established on 9 April 2008 as a key source of advice to Government in refocusing the health system on prevention. Its focus in 2007–08 was on the generic lifestyle risks of excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco and obesity. These risk factors will be the initial focus of Australia’s first National Preventative Health Strategy which is being developed by the taskforce to provide a blueprint for tackling chronic disease in Australia in the following years.
The Department is assisting the Government with the development of health reforms being considered by the Council of Australian Governments. A new health agreement is expected to be finalised by the council before the end of 2008 as part of a new Commonwealth-State financial agreement. The agreement will include benchmarks for improved performance in key areas, increased accountability, and greater transparency of outcomes to the community.
The Department will assist the Australian Government in the development of a National Primary Health Care Strategy to build a stronger primary care system, including a greater focus on keeping patients out of hospital and increasing the focus of primary care teams on the provision of multi–disciplinary care. In 2008–09, as part of the National Cancer Plan, the Department will also provide additional support for cancer care and prevention and cancer research. Australia’s health workforce will be supported through education and training programs for general practitioners, other medical specialists, nurses and allied health professionals. The Department will focus on ensuring older Australians receive a choice of high quality, accessible and affordable aged care. In 2008–09, reliable, timely and affordable access to cost-effective and high quality pharmaceutical services will also remain a focus.
Finally, we will continue to focus on the delivery of high quality policy advice and program administration in order to ensure our objective of better health, better care and better life for all Australians.
For a comprehensive discussion of the Department’s key objectives and priorities for the next reporting year, please refer to the 2008–09 Health and Ageing Portfolio Budget Statements.
Jane Halton PSM
Secretary
Department of Health and Ageing
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