A Healthier Future for all Australians - Final Report June 2009
Taking Action
A Healthier Future For All Australians – the final report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission – provides the governments of Australia with a practical national plan for health reform that will benefit Australians, not just now but well into the future.
The case for health reform is compelling.
The health of our people is critical to our national economy, our national security and, arguably, our national identity. Our own health and the health of our families are key determinants of our wellbeing. Health is one of the most important issues for the Australian people, and it is an issue upon which they rightly expect strong leadership from governments.
While the Australian health system has many strengths, it is a system under growing pressure, particularly as the health needs of our population change. We face significant challenges, including large increases in demand for and expenditure on health care, unacceptable inequities in health outcomes and access to services, growing concerns about safety and quality, workforce shortages, and inefficiency.
Further, we have a fragmented health system with a complex division of funding responsibilities and performance accountabilities between different levels of government. It is ill-equipped to respond to these challenges.
We believe we can do better, and now is the time to start.
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.
