Media Releases and Communiques

National Information Management and Information and Communications Technology Reform

Health Ministers agreed to take immediate action to progress reform of the Australian health care system in the areas of after hours GP services; aged care; chronic disease and cancer services; medical workforce planning and renal disease services

23 April 2004

Joint Communique

National Information Management and Information and Communications Technology Reform

Health Ministers have today taken further steps to improve national cooperation on health information management and information and communications technology (IM&ICT).

Ministers had previously identified IM&ICT as a critical enabler of future reform to the health systems, and today noted the need for increased national capacity to drive forward critical national health IM&ICT priorities, and the capacity of technology to serve the needs of remote and dispersed communities.

Ministers noted independent advice from the Boston Consulting Group on priority areas of national action, and the need for improved cooperation to take advantage of the significant opportunity that exists to create an interconnected system.

"The benefits of an interconnected IM&ICT enabled health system are immense", Health Ministers' Council Chair, David Llewellyn of Tasmania, said. "The health system is currently at a cross road where decisions about IM&ICT must be made now to ensure that rail gauge problems are not created".

Health Ministers provided in-principle endorsement of the need for national capacity to drive forward critical health IM&ICT priorities, and requested further advice on the possible shape of national capacity, including the option of establishing a new national entity dedicated to national IM&ICT reform.

Media contact: Kay McNiece, Media Liaison AHMC 0412 132 585