There’s a straightforward way of making sure more doctors work where they’re needed.

Growing out-of-pocket health care costs are creating barriers to essential care for many Australians and arguably leading to increased hospital costs. Over time they will undermine the universality of Medicare and widen health disparities in our community. Despite this, the Abbott Government is intent on increasing Australians' individual health care costs, claiming variously that the...

The efficiency dividend has been chipping away at public service budgets for 20 years. This paper examines the problems it causes and puts forward alternatives. While initially the dividend may have helped reduce excess spending, its effects are now eroding the ability of government agencies to provide core services. In the 2010 election campaign, Shadow...

Although Labor’s SuperClinics make policy sense, resistance from doctors has slowed their implementation, writes JENNIFER DOGGETT on our partner website, Inside Story.

This paper shows that health systems oriented towards primary and preventative care achieve better health outcomes at a lower overall cost than systems oriented towards hospital care. It spells out how this can be achieved, with the establishment of 'one stop shop' primary health care centres staffed with all the expertise needed to manage the...