Health Link - Western Australia Health Department

Department of Health
Profile

Australia’s health system is world class, supporting universal and affordable access to high quality medical, pharmaceutical and hospital services, while helping people to stay healthy through health promotion and disease prevention activities.

---

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.

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.