What this means for Australians
'These reforms will deliver better health and hospital services by:
- helping patients receive more seamless care across sectors of the health system;
- improving the quality
of care patients receive through performance standards and
improved engagement of local clinicians; and - providing a secure funding base for health and hospitals into the future.'
Council of Australian Governments Communiqué,
April 2010
More hospital services with reduced waiting times
- A four-hour National Access Target for emergency department waiting times.
- An Elective Surgery Access Guarantee to fast track surgery for patients who have waited longer than clinically recommended.
- A National Access Target of 95 per cent of elective surgeries performed within clinically recommended times.
- At least 1,300 additional sub-acute beds by 2013-14 to allow patients to access the right type of hospital or community care they need.
Improved primary health care and better after-hours access
- A national after-hours service to provide telephone support, and if necessary, provide access to after-hours GP services in the community.
- More GP Super Clinics to provide a range of services in a convenient location.
- Additional and more coordinated services for Australians living with diabetes.
More doctors, nurses and allied health professionals
- 5,500 new GPs or GPs undergoing training over the next decade.
- 680 more specialist doctors over the next decade.
- More support for nurses and allied health professionals.
Improved access to aged care
- 2,500 additional aged care places and assistance through aged care one-stop shops.
- 286 sub-acute beds or bed-equivalents in multi-purpose services that provide integrated health and aged care services. Eligibility for those services will also be expanded, creating an additional 300 beds.
Better support for Australians suffering from mental illness
- Up to 30 additional headspace services to support an additional 20,000 young Australians per year.
- Up to 3,500 young Australians benefiting from early intervention and treatment for psychosis.
- Up to 25,000 people with severe mental illness benefiting from care packages.
- 136 more mental health nurses.