Without health and wellbeing, Australians cannot live full lives. A healthy workforce is a key driver of productivity. We know from the social determinants of health, that vulnerable communities are at particular risk - which we need to address if we are to be an equitable society.
Australia has invested is a first class health system that performs well on many measures. Health hubs are a growing source of jobs both skilled and unskilled, and add real economic ballast to key urban precincts and regional cities, will also making services more accessible. However, health is also very costly, taking up an large share of the economy, which will only increase with a growing population, an aging population and an increasing prevalence of chronic illness including mental health. There will be huge pressures for ongoing efficiency and effectiveness improvement in the system.
There are some structural challenges we will need to grapple with now and in the future. Most of investment in health is at the acute end - primary health, hospitals and pharmaceuticals - rather than in prevention and early intervention. Some say it is more a sickness rather than a health system. The system is also not set up to be citizen centric. There is relatively little support for community-based care - which is preferred and can be more efficient. More place-based, integrated and community led solutions will be needed. Better use of technology and greater innovation will also be essential.
The social determinants of health in some ways are may be better addressed through the human services system - disability services, housing and homelessness, child and family services, and welfare. While funding and structural issues also constraint this sector, there are also some bold systemic reforms, like NDIS.
High-quality human services underpin economic and social participation. Access to high-quality human services contributes to the well-being of individuals and the welfare of the community as a whole. Community welfare is enhanced by the social cohesion and equity benefits of people having access to a minimum level of human services, regardless of their means or circumstances. Everyone accesses human services during their lifetime. Many people draw on human services in a reasonably predictable pattern of use. Others will require transitional support to assist with a short-term crisis. Some will have multiple and complex needs and require access to several coordinated services, potentially for long periods.
Team experience includes:
FightMND – Presented to the FightMND Board regarding the progress and challenges in finding a cure for MND
Latrobe Health Advocate – provided support on the development of a 5 year vision and 12 month plan
Prevention of violence against women – a collaborative thought leadership report including an economic analysis of the impact of domestic violence in Australia and the benefits from a range of prevention initiatives
Managing extreme heat events – a collaborative thought leadership project which estimated the past and future human impact of extreme heat events and developed a national response framework
Australian Unity, social infrastructure – a collaborative thought leadership project which identified the future gaps in social infrastructure for health and aged care on a geospacial basis across Australia, and provided a framework for reform with recommendations for action