Release of roadmap to health reform

The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, has released timelines for the further delivery of better health and hospital services.

She says the Government’s implementation plan spells out the details as to when initiatives such as extra sub-acute beds, more doctors and more nurses will be part of our health system.

The plan is carefully structured to ensure that the planned improvements to our health system are delivered to provide better, more connected services for all hard working Australians.

The implementation plan clearly shows what is already happening, and the delivery dates for other initiatives.

Health reforms already underway:

• Hospitals – extra funding to take the pressure off our stretched emergency departments and to deliver more elective surgery procedures has already started to flow.
• Better safety and quality standards – legislation has been introduced into Parliament.
• E-health – passed the key legislation giving unique health identifiers to all Australians.
• Better GP facilities – GPs can now apply for up to $500,000 to improve patient facilities.

Later this year:

• Commencing this year, 1,316 sub-acute beds will be established to provide approximately 24,900 additional services over four years for people needing care for mental health issues, rehabilitation and terminal illnesses.
• Funding starts flowing to double the number of headspace mental health facilities.
• Starting this year, an additional 11,700 services will be provided over two years by mental health care nurses
• Additional telephone-based counseling for alcohol problems.
• Innovative programs to tackle binge drinking begin.
• Local Hospital Network and Medicare Local boundaries decided.

January 2011 – Four Hour Emergency Department treatment target for high needs patients starts.

July 2011

• Any person, anywhere in Australia can pick up the phone to an after-hours GP telephone service – any time of the day or night.
• Establishment of the first Medicare Locals and Local Hospital Networks dedicated to improving local health services.
• Network of aged-care ‘one-stop shops’ commence.
• Health system moves to a sustainable funding base, as the Commonwealth becomes the dominant funder of hospitals, and takes full policy and funding responsibility for primary and aged care.

July 2012

• Individuals can register online for a personally controlled electronic health record.
• Personalised, voluntary care packages for diabetes sufferers.
• Activity Based Funding will commence, providing greater efficiency and transparency in the use of taxpayer dollars.

The number of doctors training as GPs will double from 600 in 2008 to 1,200 in 2014, and the first nurses from the Government’s 1,000 extra nurse training places will start work next year.

These measures build on the 50% increase in hospital funding made by the Government after its election and further investments to take pressure off emergency departments, improve elective surgery performance, build more medical infrastructure right across the country and improve aged care.

While reaching agreement at COAG was historic, the Government is determined to turn that agreement into real improvements in hospitals, GP surgeries and community health centres right across the country.

The implementation plan can be found at http://www.yourhealth.gov.au