What are the key entities for health system governance?
The main national governance agencies relating to health are the Council of Australian Governments’ Health Ministers Conference and its extensive committee structure, together with the Department of Health. Quality and safety standards and guidelines are set by the Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards were endorsed by the health ministers in 2011. Public health and clinical guidelines are produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council and a range of professional associations. The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (an NGO) is the main accreditation body for hospitals and other health facilities and also sets its own accreditation standards. The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency (a government-owned company) manages the accreditation process for aged care services as set out in the 2011 Accreditation Grant Principles. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (an operating division of the DoH) is responsible for marketing approval and postmarketing surveillance of therapeutic goods. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (an independent statutory body) advises the national minister for health on the evaluation of comparative effectiveness and cost-efficiency of drugs proposed for the government subsidy list. The DoH then uses these assessments to negotiate prices with manufacturers. The Independent Hospital Pricing Authority was established in December 2011 to set the national “efficient” price for public hospital services. The National Health Performance Authority was established as a statutory authority through the National Health Reform Act 2011 to report on the performance of all local hospital networks, public and private hospitals, and Medicare Locals. The Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (established under legislation in 2010) is an oversight body for the 14 current health professions.