Will Hospitals Finally be Fixed?

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	Staff Researcher articles by this author...
Editing and Researching news and stories about Australian and International Pharmacy Issues

The National Health and Hospital Reform Commission (NHHRC) will be delivering its final report to the government on the 30th June 2009.
Those of us who have worked in the hospital system have, at that time, found themselves locked into a system that seemed to be set in concrete.
Lack of innovation and imagination, saddled with a range of ancient systems that cannot communicate with each other, it seemed that only a charge of dynamite could burst open the log jam and allow clinical flows and people to be managed properly and creatively.
Will that "breath of fresh air" follow on after the report delivery?
Whatever finally is allowed to happen will still take time to have an effect because what is really needed is a total change of culture, otherwise entrenched attitudes will continue the "status Quo".

Source: Canberra Times

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'Biggest shake-up' since Medicare

BY TOM SKOTNICKI

28/06/2009 9:53:00 AM

A REPORT expected to be the blueprint for the biggest shake-up in health since the introduction of Medicare will be delivered to the Government on Tuesday.

The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission will deliver its final report to the Minister for Health Nicola Roxon on June30.

It is expected to recommend the Federal Government take over the funding of public hospitals and appoint expert boards to operate hospitals and manage services. However, it is unlikely to recommend a full takeover of public hospitals by the Commonwealth from the states.

A spokesman for Ms Roxon confirmed the report would be received on Tuesday but would not comment on when it would be publicly released. ''It will be discussed and released in due course,'' she said.

The commission was established early last year to undertake the inquiry.

The commission's establishment followed growing concern over inefficiency caused by blame and cost shifting between jurisdictions responsible for different aspects of the health services.