National Health Reform

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The National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA):

delivered a nationally unified, but locally managed health system
reformed funding of public hospital services (with the Commonwealth increasing its funding share)
established three Tasmanian Health Organisations under the Tasmanian Health Organisations Act 2011
established the Primary Healthcare Organisation (Medicare Local).

These health reforms respond to the major challenges facing the health and hospital system, including:

the growth and ageing of the population
community expectations of hospital waiting times.
overlapping responsibilities and lack of coordination and integration of service systems that lead to patients 'falling through the cracks.
gaps in the provision of primary health care services.
high and increasing rates of chronic disease
the need to improve efficiency to give confidence that health and hospital funding goes as far as possible.

Benefits to Tasmania

Provides more certainty and more money for Tasmania's health system.
Hospital services will be run at a local community level making them more responsive to local needs.
The reforms are about strengthening services, putting them on a more sustainable footing and supporting the workforce that is delivering them.
The reforms will increase local control and management of healthcare to ensure decisions are being made as close to the patient as possible.