Across Australia, fundamental changes are being made to the way health and hospital services are funded, delivered and structured. Tasmania has until 1 July 2012 to put some key changes in place, including establishment of new Tasmanian Health Organisations (currently Area Health Services).
The reforms are aimed at achieving better access to services, improved local accountability and transparency, and greater responsiveness to local communities.
Three new Tasmanian Health Organisations (THOs) are being created to improve the way we deliver health services.
To support these reforms, some organisational functions and accountabilities will be changed.
Structure update
The new structure is based on the best contemporary thinking. It will deliver optimal services for patients and clients, fulfil the policy goals of the Tasmanian and Australian governments, and provide good value-for-money for Tasmanian taxpayers.
The following principles drive the restructure:
- making Tasmania a healthier and fairer place, by focussing on patients and clients and providing high quality, safe health and human services
- delivering on the policy goals of the Tasmanian and Australian Governments
- implementing national health reforms – including establishing the functional separation between service providers, purchasing and commissioning, and the Agency
- complying with all legislation and associated responsibilities
- reducing waste and red tape
- delivering the savings task required by the Tasmanian Government.
While there is more work to do, in general, the new overall structure has been crafted, and is currently being implemented.