A final report from an inquiry to conduct a holistic review of the funding of health services in New South Wales (NSW). The Inquiry examined:

• the existing governance and accountability structure of NSW Health
• the way NSW Health funds health services are delivered in public hospitals and community settings
• strategies available to address escalating costs, limit wastage and identify areas of improvement in financial management.

It finds that the NSW health system is a good one. It comprises doctors, nurses, and other clinicians and workers who are well trained, highly skilled, and dedicated. It is well managed. The money allocated to NSW Health by a combination of NSW Treasury and the Commonwealth Government is not wasted. 

However, it has failings. One significant failure is that adequate and timely primary care is not available to parts of the NSW population. There has been a failure to embed prevention in all its forms into the health system, despite repeated and evidence based recommendations to do so.

The report provides 41 recommendations across 12 priority areas including:

• the need for allied and preventative healthcare
• challenges around primary and aged care
• the health workforce
• statewide health service planning
• procurement processes
• innovation.