Department of Health & Ageing

Address: GPO Box 9848,
Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

Tel: +61 2 6289 1555

Web: http://www.health.gov.au/

Company description

The Department of Health and Ageing has a diverse set of responsibilities, but throughout there is a common purpose, which is reflected in our Vision statement:
Better health and active ageing for all Australians.
We aim to achieve our Vision through strengthening evidence-based policy advising, improving program management, research, regulation and partnerships with other government agencies, consumers and stakeholders.

Products and services

Matters dealt with by the department include:
Services for older people, including their carers
Policy for and promotion of active ageing, other than income security and employment policy
Public health, including health protection, and medical research
Health promotion and disease prevention
Primary health care
Hospitals funding and policy, including relationships and linkages within the continuum of health care
Implementation of the National Health and Hospitals Network
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs and policies
Health and ageing research
Pharmaceutical benefits
Health benefits schemes
Hearing services policy and funding
Specific health services, including human quarantine
National drug strategy
Regulation of therapeutic goods
Notification and assessment of industrial chemicals
Gene technology regulation
Medical indemnity insurance issues
Private health insurance
Blood and organ policy and funding
Health workforce capacity
Mental health policy and primary mental health care
Our current priorities include:
focusing the health and aged care system more on healthy lifestyles, prevention and early intervention and a ‘best practice’ handling of chronic disease;
improving the transparency, accessibility, accountability and quality of public and private health and aged care service provision through financing and agreements with stakeholders, industry and State and Territory governments;
consolidating and progressing reforms to ensure choice and access to quality aged care services;
working together with the States and Territories to reduce duplication and gaps, and to deliver efficient, value-for-money health and aged care services through an adaptable and sustainable health and aged care workforce;
working towards improved health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through whole-of-government arrangements for policy development and service delivery, and improved access to, and responsiveness of, the mainstream health system;
improving choice for consumers through strong private sector involvement, effectively integrated with the public sector; and
leading a whole-of-government approach to strengthening Australia’s readiness for disease threats, national emergencies and other large scale health incidents.