COAG announces further health sector reforms

Besides the much publicised agreement on health and hospital reform, the communiqué issued following the meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) earlier this week contains some interesting information which will impact on the dental profession.

COAG agreed to:

• New clinical safety and quality standards to be developed by a permanent Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The independent National Performance Authority will be responsible for reporting on performance against these standards, across both primary care (including dental practices) and public hospitals;
• With the exception of WA, the Commonwealth Government will have funding and policy responsibility for GP and primary health care services and aged care services. This will include community health centres (where most public dental care is delivered) and primary mental health care; and,
• For the not-for-profit sector, an implementation plan and governance structure to develop a nationally consistent approach to fund-raising regulation and the adoption of a standard chart of accounts where possible by next 1 July.