The Australian Healthcare System: Structure, Bodies and Functions

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the Australian healthcare system, detailing the roles and responsibilities of key governmental bodies such as the Department of Health, Therapeutic Goods Administration, and the National Health and Medical Research Council. It examines the functions of these bodies in relation to healthcare policies, medical research funding, and the regulation of medical devices and medicines. The report also explores the role of state-level organizations like SA Health in South Australia and the involvement of local governments in public health protection. Furthermore, it discusses the significance of community support services and private healthcare operators in delivering healthcare services. The document also touches upon Medicare, medical levies, and issues related to healthcare funding and the increasing costs of medicines. This report highlights the interconnectedness of various components within the Australian healthcare system and their impact on healthcare delivery and accessibility.

Running head: AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Australian Healthcare System
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Answer 1.
The Department of Health, Government of Australia is the body which sits at the helm of
the health care system in Australia. The body has its headquarters in Canberra, which is the seat
of the union government of Australia (Beta.health.gov.au 2018).
The main responsibilities of the body as far as healthcare system in Australia is
concerned are as follows:
1. Offering of medical benefit schemes to the people staying in Australia.
2. Providing pharmaceutical benefit schemes in Australai.
3. Providing financial resources to public hospital which are owned by the state and the territorial
government bodies.
4. Collaborating with healthcare and educational experts to ensure appropriate personnel
availability in the health sector of Australia.
Answer 2.
The following are the main bodis holding important posts in the healthcare systems of
Australia as far as the career of a medical massage therapist is concerned:
Agency Role Source How is it relevant to your
practice in massage?
1. Department of
Health,
Government of
Australia.
The apex
government body
in the healthcare
system in
Australia. It is the
organ of the
Government of
Australia which
makes the basic
policies and gives
directions on
which all the other
bodies of the
health care sector
functions.
https://beta.health.gov.au/
about-us/the-australian-
health-system
The body is relevant to the
profession of massage experts
because it makes laws to
support private and community
controlled healthcare systems
which also includes massage
provisions.
2. Therapeutic
Goods
Administration,
Government of
Asutralia
The Therapeutic
Goods
Administration is
the organ of the
Government of
Australia which
regulates
medicines,
medical devices,
http://www.tga.gov.au/ The profession of the massage
expert requires him to use a
variety of medical devices and
medicines, mostly external
medicines which providing
massage services. That is why
the body applies to the
profession of a massage expert.

2
AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
blood related
products and other
body parts related
products.
3. National Health
and Medical
Research Council,
Government of
Australia
The National
Health and
Medical Research
Council,
Government of
Australia is the
body which funds
medical research
in different
spheres in
Australia. The
body is an organ
by the
Commonwealth of
Australia
(Nhmrc.gov.au
2018).
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/ The field of massage requires
extensive research and subject
to continuous advancements in
medical science. The NHMRC
funds medical research and
bring aboyut advancement in
the field of therapy treatments
like massage. That is how
NHMRC applies to the
professionals of massage.
Answer 3.
Australia
n
Govern
ment
Departm
ent
Role Source of information How is it relevant to your
practice in massage?
1. The
Australia
n
Commis
sion on
Safety
and
Quality
in Health
Care
The Department with the
Australian Health
Department governs the
appropriateness of the
contracts pertaining to
safety and security of the
workers involved in the
projects.
https://
beta.health.gov.au/about-
us/the-australian-health-
system
The body makes policies
pertaining to safety and
security of workers
involved in the projects.
This means that the
injured workers may
require massage services
to recover from injuries.

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AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
2.
Depart
ment
of
Health
Human
Resear
ch
Ethics
The department supervises
the ethical aspects of using
human beings as parts of
medical researches. The
body ensures that the
people who contribute to
researches are not subject
to any ill-treatment or
unlawful behavior
https://
beta.health.gov.au/about-
us/the-australian-health-
system
The massager personnel
would help the people
who are used in
experiment to deal with
the mental and physical
stress that they might be
subjected to.
3.
Nation
al
Rural
Health
Commi
ssioner
The department supervises
health services in rural and
remote regions
https://
beta.health.gov.au/about-
us/the-australian-health-
system
The massage personnel
may require to provide
massage in the rural
areas.
Answer 4a.
The SA Heath which is a department under the Government of South Australia is the
main body overseeing the health care sector within the state.
The main functions of the body is to usher reforms in health sector and promote research
to promote health development in South Australia. The body also promotes awareness about
several important issues in the area of healthcare in Australia. The body also functions in
spreading awareness and research in critical social problematic areas drug and alcohol abuse.
Moreover, the body also arranges donors of human organs to assist patients in need of organs to
survive critical health conditions (Sahealth.sa.gov.au. 2018).
Answer 4b.
The source of information is the official website of SA Health and relevant url is mention
here under:
http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/Public+Content/SA+Health+Internet/
Answer 5.
The SA Health provides services to improve the health conditions of the people living in
South Australia. The services include significant services like drug and alcohol services,
ambulance services, cancer services and dental services (Sahealth.sa.gov.au. 2018).
The SA Health is extremely important to the profession of massage experts especially
within South Australia. The body spreads awareness about different types of massage some of
which are extremely critical like uterine massage and massage to control blood loss due to injury.

4
AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
It is evident from the efforts of the body that massage is an indispensable component of medical
treatment which has created more demand for massage professions in mainstream medical
profession. Thus, it can be inferred that SA Health plays a very significant role towards
professional development of massage experts.
Answer 6.
The local governments of Australia play statutory roles in the area of public health
protection. The local governments act under the direction of Public Health Act 2010 and Food
Act 2003. These governments work in crucial areas like providing food services, sports and
recreation and sun protection. The other important areas are water fluoridation and promoting
mental health (Health.vic.gov.au. 2018).
Answer 7.
Community
support
services
Role Sources of
information
How is to relevant to your
practice in massage
1. Cancer
Council
Australia
The body
promotes cancer
treatment and
works towards
reducing cancer
incidences in
Australia
Cancer.org.au 2018 The body also uses service of
massage experts to enhance the
physical conditions of the
patients.
2 National
Heart
Foundation of
Australia
The body works
towards helping
people suffering
from cardiac
diseases
Heartfoundation.org.a
u
Massage can be used to
enhance to muscular activity
among patients.
3. Beyond Blue The body works
towards helping
assisting people
suffering from
anxiety and
suicidal
tendencies
Beyondblue.org.au.
2018
Massage can be used to
enhance to muscular activity
among patients
Answer 8.
Types of
private
operator
Role Sources of information Relevance in massage
Epsworth
Healthcare
The private
hospital works
in the area of
surgery and
rehabilitation
services
Epworth.org.au. 2018 Use massage to treat
patients

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AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Prince of
Wales
Private
Hospital,
NSW
Multispecialty
hospital with
expertise in
surgery
http://
www.princeofwalesprivatehospit
al.com.au/
Use massage to treat
patients
Darwin
Private
Hospital,
Northern
Territory
Multispecialty
healthcare
provider
http://
www.darwinprivatehospital.com.
au/
Use massage to treat
patients
Answer 10.
It is the role of the government to ensure healthcare systems for the public. The
government should provide high quality healthcare system and the public in general should abide
by the laws and policies the government forms.
Answer 11.
The two government systems share funding of healthcare. The central government forms
the central healthcare policies while the state governments adopt these policies according to the
needs of their respective states of jurisdiction. The two governments healthcare systems share the
expenses based on predetermined directions given in several acts
Answer 12a.
Medicare is a range of benefits, payment systems and insurance services given by
Australian Department of Human Services. The system allows patients to get health information
online and assistance in case of chronic medical conditions
Answer 12b.
The source of information is the official website of Department of Human Sciences,
Government of Australia.
Answer 13.
Medical levy is a system which encourage the upper class residents of Australia to
acquire medical care from private healthcare systems, thus leaving the public healthcare systems
to the low income groups (Ato.gov.au. 2018).
Answer 14.
The public healthcare systems are cheaper compared to the expensive private healthcare
system which require patients to acquire health insurance packages. The system is more helpful
to the large number of middle class patients in Australia to get treatment.
Answer 15.
The issues are level of funding and newly invented drugs. The third issue is increasing
cost of acquiring medicines some of which have to be imported. (Ato.gov.au. 2018)

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AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
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https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-levy/ [Accessed 12 Oct. 2018].
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[Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Beyondblue.org.au. 2018. Beyondblue.org.au. [online] Available at:
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Cancer.org.au 2018. Cancer.org.au. [online] Cancer.org.au. Available at:
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[Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Princeofwalesprivatehospital.com.au. (2018). Princeofwalesprivatehospital.com.au. [online]
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Qld.gov.au. 2018. Qld.gov.au. [online] Available at:
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Sahealth.sa.gov.au. 2018. Sahealth.sa.gov.au. [online] Available at:
http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/about+us/
about+sa+health [Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
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about+sa+health [Accessed 12 Oct. 2018].
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AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Tga.gov.au. 2018. tga.gov.au. [online] Available at: http://www.tga.gov.au/ [Accessed 26 Sep.
2018].
Thermh.org.au. 2018. Thermh.org.au. [online] Available at: https://www.thermh.org.au/
[Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].