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Highlights
- AHHA has urged the federal government to consider reforms in the healthcare system.
- Health policies of Australia have failed to maintain pace with the change.
- The organisation has called on parties to measure and report what matters, build a sustainable and resilient health workforce, and provide support for regional innovation and reform.
- AHHA has also called upon deploying funding models.
It seems the Australian health system will be one of the hot topics in the upcoming federal election in the country. The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) has released an election statement, outlining priority areas for health system reforms in the lead up to the federal election.
AHHA is Australia’s central body for public and non-profit hospitals and healthcare providers. Its vision is to make Australia healthy by providing the best possible healthcare system. The organisation is distinctively placed as an autonomous, national voice for high-quality universal healthcare to benefit the whole community.
AHAA works towards maintaining its vision for an efficient, inventive, and viable health system where all Australians have equitable access to healthcare of the maximum standard when and where they need it.
The statement by the representative body for Australian public sector hospitals calls for all parties to commit to a healthcare system that delivers sustainable and equitable outcomes to people and communities.
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Health policies fail to keep pace with change
Healthcare in Australia has been revolutionised with the establishment of Medicare. Much has changed in past decades, from the delivery of Medicare to how people manage it. However, health policies of Australia have failed to maintain pace with the change, stated the organisation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in the healthcare system that need to be narrowed down by paying due attention. Without timely support and adequate resources, health services have faced more burdens and increased workloads.
Although the pandemic has brought many changes in healthcare, transitioning the entire system and services remains a challenge.
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What has AHHA suggested?
It is necessary to understand how the healthcare system can respond innovatively and sustainably to reforms.
The government must measure and report what matters. Health data should be collected timely, in the right format, and must reflect care outcomes. A commitment must be done towards developing an enduring National Health Information Strategy framework.
A national health workforce reform strategy must be established for meeting needs of Australians. It must address and solve the systemic weaknesses of the Australian health workforce. Clinician leadership should be supported, and term-based models of care should be enabled.
Stewardship and support need to be provided to promote regional innovation and reform to support health services in a shift to outcome-focused, value-based care models. A framework should be made that constantly evaluates outcomes of healthcare services.
There must be mixed and flexible funding models in healthcare that incentivise the necessary workforce and improve health outcomes for people and communities. Longer-term funding approaches must be there for rural and remote health care reforms.
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