Dear Minister,
I am pleased to provide the Report of the Mid-Term Review of the National Health Reform Agreement Addendum 2020-2025. The Review was commissioned by the Health Ministers of the Commonwealth and all States and Territories and is a requirement of Clause 21 of the Addendum.
The Review makes forty-five recommendations that respond to the Review’s Terms of Reference. These recommendations seek to build on the strengths of the National Health Reform Agreement, while proposing reforms and initiatives to enable the health system to address current and future challenges. The Review concludes that there are significant opportunities to broaden the scope of the Agreement to take a whole of health system view, to better manage the interface between care sectors, to embed innovation and reform into its operations, to incorporate the key system enablers of workforce and digital health and to establish priority actions in the areas of First Nations’ people, mental health, prevention and rural and remote health.
While progress has been made to improve transparency and efficiency of hospital funding, largely through activity-based funding, there is an opportunity to take this to the next level by developing and enabling optimal models of care that seek to deliver care in the right place at the right time, often in the community or through virtual settings. The implementation of a Health Funding and Payments Framework will embed financing models that are fit for purpose and that reward high value care to improve patient outcomes.
Establishing a robust performance framework that includes measurement of patient experience and outcomes across the health system will enable a more proactive approach to system management. A thorough consultation process informed the Review and has been invaluable in developing its recommendations. I wish to acknowledge the open and collaborative way in which all stakeholders have participated and their willingness to test ideas and provide case studies and data.
I also wish to thank my initial co-Reviewer, Mr Michael Walsh PSM, who was a tireless contributor to the Review’s consultation phase, policy framing and direction, prior to his appointment as Acting Director General of Queensland Health in late July 2023. The Review was supported by Deloitte and I thank them for their contribution throughout, in supporting consultations,
reviewing submissions and collaborating on preparation of Review materials, report drafting and ideas.
Yours sincerely
Rosemary Huxtable AO PSM
24 October 2023
Copied to: Health Ministers’ Meeting – All Members
Health Chief Executives Forum – All Members
Download the Final Report (pdf)
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
