Healthy Australia Task Force

Across government and the community, it is increasingly recognised that Australia needs to improve its health system to better meet people’s needs and provide better value for patients and taxpayer investment.

The BCA recognises that a healthcare system, working as it should, will see more Australians leading fulfilling lives, fit and able to contribute to their own and the nation’s prosperity.

The BCA’s Healthy Australia Task Force provides a voice for the business community in this important area of policy reform.

As well as explaining the expert contribution business can make in improving outdated systems and practices, we support the need for an evidence-based framework to give Australia one of the best, most efficient and cost-effective health services in the world.

Priorities

• Promote the need for health sector reform that delivers better value for patients by using microeconomic reforms to improve the performance of the sector, including: 
   
  • facilitating better formulated health services to meet Australia’s current and emerging needs
    
  • providing a coordinated set of services for patients
    
  • addressing inequities in access and outcomes determined by where patients live, how much money they have and whether they are Indigenous
    
  • making the system more efficient by cutting duplication of tests and procedures.
    
• Encourage national leadership and commitment by all governments for an e-health system that offers better collection, sharing and storage of patient information.
  
• Establish the role of business in health reform by researching and explaining links between Australians’ health and their ability to work and prosper.
  
• Improve the performance of the health sector by strengthening its governance.  

The BCA Secretariat contact for this task force is Ruth Dunkin, Director Policy.