Priority Setting in Health Care Systems

Running head: PRIORITY SETTING IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS
Priority setting in health care systems
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

PRIORITY SETTING IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS
1
A. Reason for Australia to introduce an independent agency to undertake priority setting
in health care
The field of health care can be considered to be a significant field of activity the context
of the survival of the human race (Honigsbaum 2018). Being of mortal nature, it is common for
the human population to become susceptible to ailments and weakness. In this regard, the
importance of the health care system rises whereby it becomes the utmost priority of such
hospitals and clinics to ensure the physical well-being of the human population.
Due to the significant place occupied by this sector in the life of the human society, it is
important that an independent agency should be set up to undertake priority setting in the region
of Australia (Mullen and Spurgeon 2018). One of the reason for this is that the health care sector
should be kept free from any kind of political influence or similar pressures. Often time sit is
observed that the politicians of a particular region have a significant interest in the way an
individual receives his or her health care facilities. Since health care is one of the most
concerning fields of human activity, having an equal access to this system is highly appreciated
(Joan and Cowell 2019). Furthermore, the affordability of such health care measures is also
preferred by the individuals of the society since there are certain medical procedures and
medicines which cannot be afforded by the common public. Health care system is meant to work
in an unconditional manner to save the human population (Collins et al. 2019). However, such
selfish motives of the politicians would seek to regulate this field of activity for their profit
motives. During such an instance, the priority would no longer remain with the patients and
seeking their healthy life and well-being but rather to get a vote bank. As a consequence of this,
it is imperative that such health care systems be managed by an independent agency who would
have no such political aims and ambitions to achieve and fulfill (Cesari et al. 2016). As a result,

PRIORITY SETTING IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS
2
with the establishment of an independent agency to undertake priority setting in health care such
political influences would be minimized to a great extent.
Furthermore, being independent in nature, such an independent agency would take an
unbiased perspective as to the setting up of the structure of the health care system (Hunter 2018).
This unbiased nature of the independent agency is required because if left to the management of
the hospital, they would try to structure the institution in such a manner whereby only the most
critical cases would be recognized and dealt with on a priority basis (Littlejohns et al. 2019).
Thus, there is a need for the independent agency as they would try to ensure that all of the
patients who come to a hospital seeking for its assistance, are all given the help and support they
require, no matter how minor the issue might be. Moreover, the agenda for such health care
system would also act as an upholder of their obligation in an ethical manner which is considered
to be a vital requirement for the management of any private sector organization.
B. Taking the opinions of the community in terms of resource allocation and priority
setting in health care
The system of health care is primarily designed and established for the maintenance of
the well-being of the common people. In this regard, it can be seen that the needs and desires of
the people should be taken in to consideration by the doctors and the nurses in order to ensure
that they are being managed in an effective manner (Lavigne et al. 2017). The satisfaction of the
patients is the utmost requirement of the health care systems.
Explicit use of resource allocation
The resources should be used explicitly by the different health services. In this context, it
is an ethical obligation of the health care systems to allocate the necessary resources to such

PRIORITY SETTING IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS
3
hospitals and health care outlets which are required by the patients and which would aid in the
higher satisfaction of them (Sandman, Gustavsson and Munthe 2016). This would help the helath
service sector to meet their demands. Furthermore, the patients would have a transparent idea as
to how the resources are being allocated. This supports the society to reduce any activities of
misappropriation. Thus, the community is found to be involved in such allocation of resources.
Use of due process in resource allocation
There is the use of due process in the allocation of resources. This can be noted in the
process with the aid of which such resources are allocated. It is the ultimate responsibility of the
doctors to ensure that the patients would be take care of in a physical manner within such
hospitals. However, to this end, the mental and emotional satisfaction of the patients is also
required as the body heals faster when the mind is at peace (Conklin, Morris and Nolte 2015).
Thus, in this context, it can be stated that it is the ethical responsibility of the independent
priority setting agency to ask the community what ethical principles should guide the resources
allocation and priority setting in health care (Elshaug et al. 2017). This is implemented through
due process whereby the necessary resources are allocated to the different hospitals on a priority
basis. The hospitals and clinics which are in need of urgent materials are given to them first
before allocating the remaining resources to the other sectors.
C. Ethical principles underlying priority setting in Australia in the field of health care
system
Australia is a tropical country situated in the Southern Hemisphere. This country has
limited access to water resources and is essentially considered to be a dry region of the globe. In
this regard there are many ailments and common illnesses which are faced by the people of this