Acute Care Division (ACD)
Acute Care Division of the Department of Health and Ageing is committed to providing a positive difference to all Australians in relation to cost-effective, high quality acute and subacute care, choices about health care services and access to dental health services. This is achieved by ensuring Australians have access to public hospitals, related hospital care and medical services.
The Acute Care Division is divided into five Branches and is supported by a Principal Medical Adviser.
National Partnership Agreements Branch
The Branch is responsible for the Tasmanian Health Assistance Package, including: Walk in Centres, the Elective Surgery Blitz, Clinical Redesign, Palliative Care, and The Commission on Tasmanian Government Delivery of Health Services.
The Branch also manages and monitors progress under two schedules of the National Partnership Agreement on Hospital and Health Workforce Reform - Taking Pressure Off Public Hospitals and Subacute Care, as well as the provision of policy advice on emergency departments, elective surgery and subacute care, including activity based funding for subacute care, and the health care of older people.
Hospital Development Branch
The Hospital Development Branch is responsible for the negotiation, implementation and reporting on the progress of capital infrastructure projects including projects funded under the Health and Hospitals Fund.
The Branch is also responsible for managing the Heads of Agreement for the continued operation of the Mersey Community Hospital. The Branch coordinates the Department’s engagement with the Hospitals Principal Committee (HPC), and supports the Commonwealth’s HPC representative.
Dental Branch
The Dental Branch is responsible for the provision of policy advice on and management of the Government’s dental policies and programs and negotiation.
The Branch manages the Government’s dental programs, including the mobile indigenous dental program and Medicare teen dental plan, develops policy and provides advice in relation to dental health and supports the National Advisory Council on Dental Health.
Financing and Analysis Branch
The Financing and Analysis Branch is primarily responsible for providing broad policy advice on issues relating to public and private hospitals in Australia, particularly relating to the ongoing management of the National Health Reform Agreement.
The Branch also provides leadership in national hospital data and information capture, analysis and reporting and contributes to evidence-based hospital policy development, program delivery and public accountability initiatives.
Hospital Policy and Governance Branch
The Hospital Performance and Governance Branch is primarily responsible for providing broad policy advice on issues relating to:
- the measurement and assessment of the performance of public and private hospitals in Australia, particularly to assist the Government's National Health Reform Agreement goals relating to performance measurement and reporting;
- Clinical governance, including the development and implementation of the National Lead Clinicians group and the National Clinicians Network; and
- the operation of Local Hospital Networks.
