The ACT has a relatively young and healthy population and, on average, the healthiest population of any State or Territory in Australia.
As part of its vision for ‘A Clever, Caring Capital’, the ACT aims to lead Australia in maximising both community and individual health and wellbeing. To achieve this aim, the Government has developed an ambitious and challenging agenda for change to ensure that the ACT region is a healthy community.
‘Setting the Agenda’ is a vital new statement which provides a clear statement of the Government’s aims in the health system and its commitment to them. It sets out directions and priorities for the next three years and builds upon achievements in the delivery of health care within the ACT.
The action areas in ‘Setting the Agenda’ cover health for all in the ACT, a healthy city, community and home based primary care, reforming the hospital system, timely and effective hospital treatment, using evidence to achieve better outcomes, empowering our customers, a clever health service and partnering our people.
The people of Canberra have already benefited from a range of health care initiatives and reforms since the introduction of self government. These include the following.
- Medical emergencies in the region have been greatly improved by the introduction of an emergency services helicopter, Southcare, with clinical staff provided by the Canberra Hospital.
- Patients needing heart surgery are now able to receive treatment locally, rather than having to travel to Sydney or Melbourne.
- Hospital patients have a greater range of choices available to them with the opening of the National Capital Private Hospital which provides a significant expansion of services for privately insured patients, and helps relieve the pressure on the public hospital system.
- Canberra has the highest childhood immunisation coverage rates, achieved through the Government’s funding of a five point immunisation strategy and the highest participation in breast screening for women aged between 50 and 69 years.
- Canberra also has the toughest anti smoking legislation with smoking prohibited in all enclosed public places including pubs and clubs.
- In the alcohol and drug rehabilitation field, the Methadone Program has recently been expanded, and trials have commenced for both Buprenorphine and Naltrexone for the treatment of heroin addiction.
In the advanced technology area, the ACT Health Communications Trial is aimed at improving patient care through better networking and telecommunications by providing a communication bridge between the hospital, institutional and specialist sector and the primary health care and community based sector. The trial has already demonstrated better coordination and continuity of primary health care and is regarded as a leading edge example of the clever use of technology in health care in Australia.
