Our work

We are establishing a new Single Assessment System to simplify and improve aged care assessments. The new system makes it easier for older people to access government-funded aged care services as their needs change.

We are exploring new employment arrangements for general practitioner (GP) trainees to help build our future GP workforce. This model gives GP trainees more attractive employment conditions throughout their training.

The Special Access Scheme allows certain health practitioners to prescribe medicines, medical devices or biologicals that are not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods to a single patients in some circumstances.

The Special Approved Placements Program (SAPP) provides access to Medicare rebates for doctors without fellowship who have to work in metropolitan areas due to exceptional circumstances. The program has closed to new entrants.

The SDCP funds specialist dementia care units in residential aged care homes. The units provide specialised care to people with very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. They aim to reduce or stabilise symptoms so that people can transition into less intensive care settings.

The Specialist Training Program supports training positions in regional, rural and remote areas, and in private facilities. This helps to improve the skills and distribution of the specialist workforce by giving participants experience of a broader range of healthcare settings.

We are reviewing the comparative clinical and cost-effectiveness of spinal cord stimulators in the Prescribed List (PL).

Learn about how the Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Advisory Committee (MRAC) is reviewing sport and exercise medicine MBS items.

This program supports pharmacists to provide PBS medicines in instalments at the request of the prescriber. This aims to support people who are at risk of drug dependency or who cannot manage their medicines safely.

Stand By Support After Suicide supports people and communities who have been affected by suicide.

Star Ratings can help older people in Australia and their representatives make more informed choices about their aged care. We have developed a Star Ratings system for residential aged care across Australia.

The Stem Cell Therapies Mission is investing $150 million to develop innovative, safe and effective treatments to improve health outcomes, in partnership with patients and carers.

The Stoma Appliance Scheme provides free stoma appliances and products to people who have a stoma (ostomates). This helps them live their lives normally without added financial stress. Find out how the scheme works, how to access it and how to get a product on the schedule.

This initiative simplifies training pathways and helps doctors to gain fellowship of one of Australia’s 2 general practice colleges. It distributes training places to ensure a continued supply of skilled doctors in rural and remote areas. It is part of the Stronger Rural Health Strategy.

Australia is working closely with the global community, including the World Health Organization, to reform and strengthen global health systems. These include updates to the International Health Regulations and the development of a new pandemic response agreement.

We are putting practical measures in place to address challenges in our healthcare system and build a stronger Medicare for future generations. These measures aim to improve primary care for all Australians with a focus on 4 priority areas.

The Aged Care Quality Standards set the standard for the safety and quality of aged care accessed by older people in Australia. Find out how we've strengthened the Quality Standards to make them more measurable and detailed.

The initiative supports nurses moving into primary health care and encourages them to have a central role in team-based approaches to delivering care.

The Suicide Call Back Service is a 24-hour nationwide service that provides free telephone, video and online counselling for anyone who is affected by suicide.

We are reforming in-home aged care. The new Support at Home program will replace the Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care Programme from 1 July 2025. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme will transition to the new program no earlier than 1 July 2027.

We provide funding to 4 professional organisations that represent sections of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce. This initiative is part of the Stronger Rural Health Strategy.

A living organ donor is someone who donates a kidney or partial liver to another person – usually a relative or close friend – who has end-stage kidney disease or liver failure. This program helps with the financial stress of recovering from donating an organ.

This initiative gives general practitioners (GPs) an opportunity to self-assess their pathology referral process using data relevant to them. It supports quality use of pathology requests, or other alternatives if they are a better choice.