We are contributing to the cost of states and territories to deliver public hospital services. This ensures that patients receive the best care when they need it, delivered efficiently, safely and cost-effectively, now and into the future.
Under a five-year National Health Reform Agreement, additional public hospital funding will provide record funding for every state and territory every year from 2020–21.
This initiative aligns to department outcome 2 in the Health Portfolio Budget Statements
Our aim
- Maintain activity based funding and focus on improved safety and quality, coordinated care and health innovation.
- Improve health outcomes, through a focus on value.
- Build a more sustainable health system.
- Support record numbers of surgeries and services, and an increased number of doctors and nurses in Australia’s public hospitals.
Our challenges
- To negotiate a new National Health Reform Agreement based on the Government’s offer to the states and territories.
Our work to achieve this initiative
- Increasing funding for public hospitals and providing policy advice on public hospital funding matters.
- Establishing a National Health Reform Agreement for 2020–2025, with state and territory governments, for public hospital funding and health reform.
- Extending reforms commenced under the current National Health Reform Agreement.
Our role and that of our partners
- We will continue to strengthen relationships with our stakeholders and work with local health providers and hospitals to improve services.
- The Commonwealth, states and territories have also agreed to explore options to drive down avoidable hospital admissions, including through better coordinated primary care.
Management of identified risks
Key risks
Arrangements do not support the states and territories to deliver quality and efficient public hospital services.
Drafting of the new National Health Reform Agreement is delayed.
Management strategies
Under the new National Health Reform Agreement, funding provisions will increase over the coming years. This funding will support an increase in the numbers of surgeries and services, and will employ more doctors and nurses in our public hospitals.
We will work closely with state and territory governments to negotiate the new agreement.