A Healthier Future for all Australians - Final Report June 2009
The Work of the NHHRC
Beyond the Blame Game
In our first report, Beyond the Blame Game (April 2008), we provided advice to inform the negotiations around the Australian Health Care Agreements.We identified key health challenges and developed performance indicators and benchmarks that reflected our long-term view of the health system.
We developed a set of design and governance principles to underpin the health system of the future. These principles remain fundamental to our reform agenda and are listed in Appendix F.
Interim Report
In our Interim Report, we proposed reform directions across the broad and complex range of issues facing our health system now and into the future.These reform directions were grouped under four themes:
- Taking responsibility – Individual and collective action to build good health and wellbeing – by people, families, communities, health professionals, employers, health funders and governments;
- Connecting care – Comprehensive care for people over their lifetime;
- Facing inequities – Recognise and tackle the causes and impacts of health inequities; and
- Driving quality performance – Leadership and systems to achieve best use of people, resources, and evolving knowledge.
Following the release of the Interim Report in February 2009, we conducted further consultation. We received more than 280 submissions, conducted an online e-survey and held a series of specific workshops and meetings.
We met with federal, state and territory Health Ministers and Departments.
The generous support and interest of many individuals and groups across the health industry and the community more broadly helped us greatly in this final phase of our work.
A Healthier Future For All Australians: Final Report
Our Final Report builds on the reform directions proposed in our Interim Report to produce a set of 123 recommendations for action.This report presents the why, the what, and the how for a long term reform agenda for Australia’s health system.
In Chapter 1, we present a compelling case for long-term reform with action starting now. We explain the problems of today’s health system – the difficulties in access, the inequities and gaps in services, quality concerns, and the inefficiencies and waste.
We then turn to the very real challenges ahead of us which we need to prepare for, including the impact of an ageing population on health need and the health workforce; the increasing health burden from chronic diseases, frailty and disability; and the need to keep health care affordable, given consumer expectations, increasing health care costs, and new technology advances.
Finally, we go beyond the horizon to consider the possibilities and the unexpected in a changing world, and why it is important that our health system be able to adapt and continually improve.
In Chapter 2 we present our vision and reform goals and paint a picture as to how our recommendations fit together to meet issues and challenges in the short, medium and long term.
Chapter 3 presents actions to deal with the major access and equity issues that affect health outcomes for people now.
Chapter 4 describes the transformational changes required to redesign our health system to meet emerging challenges.
Chapter 5 explains what we need to do to create an agile and self-improving heath system, which can respond to the changing needs of people in a changing world.
In Chapter 6, we show how reforming the governance and structure of the health system will provide the leadership and stewardship our health system needs. We present reforms to achieve ‘one national health system’ now and ideas on how to further improve the responsiveness, sustainability and capacity for innovation by creating a self-improving health system in the long term.
In Chapter 7, we present a roadmap for reform and outline the investment required to implement our recommendations, the gains from this investment in terms of improved health services, and the long-term impact on health expenditure, efficiency and productivity.
