2011-2012

Portfolio Overview

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The Health and Ageing portfolio works towards achieving a health care system that meets the health care and ageing needs of all Australians. Since the 2011-12 Budget the Government has announced spending initiatives of more than $494 million over four years to improve critical health and aged care services. The Government has taken these decisions in the context of its commitment to return the budget to surplus in 2012-13.

The Government has also announced changes to both the Ministerial and Portfolio structure. These changes are outlined below.

Administrative Arrangement Orders

As part of the 2011 Administrative Arrangement Orders (AAOs), the Prime Minister announced changes to the Ministry which included changes for Health and Ageing Ministers and their respective responsibilities.

In relation to Health and Ageing Portfolio responsibilities only:

• the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP has joined the Portfolio in the role of Minister for Health;
• the Hon Mark Butler MP has been appointed to Cabinet as the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing; and
• the Hon Warren Snowdon MP and the Hon Catherine King MP continue in their respective roles of Minister for Indigenous Health and Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing.

A full description of the division of responsibilities within the Health and Ageing Portfolio is provided in Figure 1 below.
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Portfolio Agencies

Since the 2011-12 Budget, two new Portfolio agencies have been established.

The National Health Performance Authority was established on 21 October 2011 by the National Health Reform Amendment (National Health Performance Authority) Act 2011, to undertake independent performance monitoring and reporting on public and private hospital services and primary health services.

The Independent Hospital Pricing Authority was established on 15 December 2011 by the National Health Reform Amendment (Independent Hospital Pricing Authority) Act 2011, to determine the efficient price of public hospital services to be used in determining the Commonwealth’s contribution to public hospitals.

A list of all the 18 agencies currently within the Health and Ageing portfolio can be found in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Portfolio Structure and Outcomes

The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP Minister for Health	The Hon Mark Butler MP Minister for Mental Health and Ageing
Portfolio Responsibilities Department of Health and Ageing - Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australian National Preventive Health Agency Cancer Australia General Practice Education and Training Ltd Health Workforce Australia Independent Hospital Pricing Authority National Health Performance Authority National Health and Medical Research Council Private Health Insurance Administration Council Private Health Insurance Ombudsman Professional Services Review	Portfolio Responsibilities Department of Health and Ageing - Outcomes 1, 4, 7, 10 and 11 Aged Care Standards Accreditation Agency
The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP Minister for Health
The Hon Warren Snowdon MP Minister for Indigenous Health	The Hon Catherine King MP Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing
Portfolio Responsibilities Department of Health and Ageing - Outcomes 1 and 8	Portfolio Responsibilities Department of Health and Ageing - Outcomes 1, 13 and 14 Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency Food Standards Australia New Zealand National Blood Authority
Department of Health and Ageing – Jane Halton PSM Secretary
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Outcome 6. Rural Health Access to health services for people living in rural, regional and remote Australia, including through health infrastructure and outreach services. 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.	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. 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. 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. Outcome 11. Mental Health Improved mental health and suicide prevention, including through targeted prevention, identification, early intervention and health care services. 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. 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. 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.
Portfolio Agencies
Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd Mr Mark Brandon Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. 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 Mr Bill Lawrence AM A/g Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. 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 Dr David Kalisch Director Outcome 1. 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 Ms Louise Sylvan Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. 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 Ms Yael Cass Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. Improved access to organ and tissue transplants, including through a nationally coordinated and consistent approach and system. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. Protection of people and the environment through radiation protection and nuclear safety research, policy, advice, codes, standards, services and regulation. Cancer Australia Dr Helen Zorbas Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. 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 Mr Stephen McCutcheon Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. 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 Mr Erich Janssen Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. Improved quality and access to primary care across Australia, including through general practitioner vocational education and training for medical graduates. Health Workforce Australia Mr Mark Cormack Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. 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. National Blood Authority Ms Stephanie Gunn A/g Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. 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 Professor Warwick Anderson AM Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. Improved 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. Private Health Insurance Administration Council Mr Shaun Gath Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. Prudential safety and competitiveness of the private health insurance industry in the interests of consumers, including through efficient industry regulation. Private Health Insurance Ombudsman Ms Samantha Gavel Ombudsman Outcome 1. Public confidence in private health insurance, including through consumer and provider complaint and enquiry investigations, and performance monitoring and reporting. Professional Services Review Dr Bill Coote Director Outcome 1. 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. National Health Performance Authority1 Dr Diane Watson A/g Chief Executive Officer Outcome 1. 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. Independent Hospital Pricing Authority2 Dr Tony Sherbon A/g Chief Executive Officer

1 - The National Health Performance Authority was established on 21 October 2011 by the National Health Reform Amendment (National Health Performance Authority) Act 2011 as a new agency within the Health and Ageing Portfolio.
2 - The Independent Hospital Pricing Authority was established on 15 December by the National Health Reform Amendment (Independent Hospital Pricing Authority) Act 2011 as a new agency within the Health and Ageing Portfolio. An outcome statement is yet to be finalised.

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Portfolio Resources

Table 1 shows for those agencies reporting in the Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements the additional resources provided to the portfolio in the 2011-12 budget year, by agency.

Table 1: Portfolio resources 2011-12

	Appropriation movements				Total $'000
	Bill No. 31 $'000	Bill No. 4 $'000	Special $'000	Receipts2 $'000
Departmental
Department of Health and Ageing	29,023	-	-	457	29,480
Australian National Preventive Health Agency	1,798	-	-	-	1,798
National Health and Medical Research Council	-	-	-	-	-
Total Departmental	30,821	-	-	457	31,278
Administered
Department of Health and Ageing	(206,492)	-	1,408,588	212,888	1,414,984
Australian National Preventive Health Agency	20,035	-	-	-	20,035
National Health and Medical Research Council	-	-	-	-	-
Total Administered	(186,457)	-	1,408,588	212,888	1,435,019
Total portfolio	(155,636)	-	1,408,588	213,345	1,466,297
Equity injections					(12,324)
Non operating administered assets and liabilities					-
Total portfolio appropriations and receipts					1,453,973

All figures are GST exclusive.
1 - Administered Bill No. 3 is a net figure which includes both appropriation increases in the AEs Bills and notional reductions to the 2011-12 Budget Bill No. 1. For a breakdown of Bill No. 3 and reductions see Table 1.5.
2 - Excludes receipts from related entities within the portfolio.

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