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PDF printable version of National Health Reform Full Steam Ahead (PDF 23 KB)

3 June 2011

It’s full steam ahead for national health reform in the lead-up to the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) finalisation of the national health reform agreement next month.

Releasing the Government’s report card on national health reform implementation today, Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon said the vast majority of the Government’s health reform initiatives are well and truly on track.

Of 56 specific health measures, 15 have been implemented and 26 are on track. Twelve measures have been modified – largely as a result of the COAG Heads of Agreement in February. Three measures have been delayed.

“As reform implementation gathers pace, its impact is being felt across all areas of our health system—in our hospitals, in our frontline health services of primary health care and amongst our health workforce,” Ms Roxon said.

The final, detailed national agreement on health reform is expected to be signed off at COAG in July 2011. This agreement will build on a Heads of Agreement (HoA) signed by all Australian governments on 13 February, through which all governments agreed to work in partnership on national health reform.

“Reforming health care service delivery is being matched with new health funding and governance structures—driving improved accountability to deliver a more efficient and transparent health system.

“As today’s implementation update demonstrates, our road map to achieving a fundamental shift in our health system—to get the basics right for the long term sustainability of Australia’s health system—is delivering results,” Ms Roxon said.

Key achievements outlined in today’s report include:

• Final Medicare Local catchment areas will be announced shortly and the first group of Medicare Locals are to start operations in July 2011.
• Massive increases in workforce numbers, including: 900 new GPs in training, and 518 medical specialists trainees practising their skills in 636 sites across the country this year.
• Boundaries for Local Hospital Networks (LHNs) have been agreed across most states and territories, with Local Health Districts in NSW already up and running.
• The new National Preventive Health Agency began operations in January, and the most comprehensive survey of our nation’s health ever undertaken, the Australian Health Survey, commenced in March.
• The proposed design and legislation for tobacco plain packaging has been released for public comment, with the historic legislation, a world first, set to be debated in the Parliament later this year.
• The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care will become a permanent body, with an expanded role, on 1 July 2011, following the successful passage of legislation. Legislation to establish the new the National Health Performance Authority was introduced to Parliament in March.
• The new MyHospitals website, live since December, is now providing Australians with information on 900 hospitals, including 180 private hospitals.
• A new GP after-hours telephone-based service is set to launch on 1 July 2011.
• E-health infrastructure and standards are being tested in 12 lead implementation sites around Australia, and all Australians now have an Individual Healthcare Identifier.
• Of a total of 64 GP Super Clinics, 31 are operating, under construction or delivering early services.

An updated implementation report will be released after the new national health reform agreement is signed by COAG.

For more information, visit www.yourhealth.gov.au

For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220