Our Role
Portfolio Outcomes
The services provided by the Health and Ageing portfolio are delivered through 23 portfolio outcomes.
Population Health | Access to Pharmaceutical Services | Access to Medical Services | Aged Care and Population Ageing | Primary Care | Rural Health | Hearing Services | Indigenous Health | Private Health | Health System Capacity and Quality | Mental Health | Health Workforce Capacity | Acute Care | Biosecurity and Emergency Response| Sport Performance and Participation | Portfolio Agencies
The Health and Ageing portfolio comprises the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd, The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, Cancer Australia, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, General Practice Education and Training Ltd, Health Workforce Australia, the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, the National Blood Authority, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Health Funding Body, the National Health Performance Authority, the Private Health Insurance Administration Council, the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman, and the Professional Services Review.
The Department of Health and Ageing pursues the achievement of the following fourteen outcomes:
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, practical 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
Australians have access to high quality, well-integrated and cost-effective primary care.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 expectance 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 Responses
Preparedness to respond to national health emergencies and risks, including through surveillance, regulation, prevention, detection and leadership in national health coordination. Top of pageThe following portfolio agencies pursue the achievement of the agency-specific outcomes:
Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd
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
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
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
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
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
Outcome 1. Protection of people and the environment through radiation protection and nuclear safety research, policy, advice, codes, standards, services and regulation.
Cancer Australia
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
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
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 Top of page
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.
Independent Hospital Pricing Authority
Outcome 1. 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 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
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.
National Health Performance Authority
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.
Private Health Insurance Administration Council
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
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
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.
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