Publications

This document sets out major structural reforms to establish the financing and governance foundations of a National Health and Hospitals Network for Australia’s future. The Government expects that these reforms will permanently establish the Commonwealth Government as the majority funder of hospitals and place the Australian health system onto a sustainable and self-improving footing for the future.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
• Chronic disease
• Health promotion
• Hospitals
• Primary health care
• Rural health services
• Youth health

This report identifies actions that can be taken by governments to reform the health system under three reform goals: tackling major access and equity issues that affect health outcomes for people now; redesigning our health system so that it is better positioned to respond to emerging challenges; and creating an agile and self-improving health system for long-term sustainability.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
• Cancer
• Chronic disease
• Health promotion
• Hospitals
• Primary health care
• Rural health services
• Youth health

This paper explores the patient casemix of a number of known trends. That is, it uses the Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (AR-DRG) v4 classification to investigate trends in the utilisation of admitted patient services; the average length of stay (ALOS); the public/private balance (both in terms of patients and hospitals); and, finally, the use of hospitals by older people.

• Hospitals

This paper discusses the changing nature of the aged care environment, in relation to both providers and recipients. The nature of the nursing workforce has changed, and staffing in some areas is not meeting demand. It discusses the viability of an enhanced and more consistent scope of practice among Enrolled Nurses.

• Ageing
• Aged care services
• Carers
• Hospitals
• Nursing

This paper discusses the changing nature of the aged care environment, in relation to both providers and recipients. The nature of the nursing workforce has changed, and staffing in some areas is not meeting demand. It discusses the viability of an enhanced and more consistent scope of practice among Enrolled Nurses.

• Ageing
• Aged care services
• Carers
• Hospitals
• Nursing

Based on Western Australian hospital data covering admissions and discharges during 1994-95 and 1995-96, this study focuses on the experiences of older Australians who were admitted to hospital: how they came to be admitted and why; and where they went afterwards (including the proportion who went into a nursing home). This is only a partial picture of older Australians' use of health services because it is restricted to hospital admissions and discharges.

• Hospitals