Health Reform Summit calls for national health policy
The 43 member organisations of the Australian Health Care Reform Alliance (AHCRA), representing more than 500,000 health consumers and health sector workers country wide, have called for the formation of a National Health Reform Council (NHRC) to devise and monitor the implementation of a national health policy in a whole-of-government approach to health.
The proposed new-look body would be answerable to the Council of Australian Governments and act independently of government at State, Territory and Federal levels.
In a communiqué issued following a two-day National Health Reform Summit in Canberra, AHCRA criticised Australian governments for failing to bring about a sustainable, integrated, equitable and safe health system taxpayers deserve.
AHCRA’s communiqué highlights the current poor coordination of health care in Australia, the wasteful duplication of services and the lack of accountability in healthcare spending that sees billions of dollars of taxpayer monies wasted annually.
Key recommendations viewed as essential to reform include:
• The pooling of public health funds nationally, devolving to flexible distribution based on regions.
• A national audit of current health expenditure and needs.
• The need for comprehensive monitoring of outcomes of care that includes mandatory reporting of adverse events through open disclosure.
• An evaluation of the policy of using public funds to subsidise private health insurance.
• The need for increased information sharing, including through an electronic health record, to improve effectiveness and patient safety.
• Increased investment in health services research, with findings made public.
