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 State-Commonwealth Relations Unit Advice on Commonwealth decisions and issues was provided to the Department by a newly formed State- Commonwealth Relations Unit. This enabled all divisions of the Department to view State issues in a national context. Formed in July 1996, the unit coordinates and supports all divisions of the Department in relation to Commonwealth issues to be considered at regular meetings of the Australian Health Ministers Council including Medicare, private health insurance reforms and budget initiatives. Some of the key tasks for the unit over the year concerned variations to the Medicare Agreement and renegotiation of the Agreement; drafting the health chapter for the State’s submission to the Commonwealth Grants Commission and supporting other divisions of the Department in their business with the Commonwealth. Asset Management Statewide review of assets The Health Department’s $2.3 billion asset portfolio is now under review in a major audit to establish the extent of deferred maintenance. Once completed, the condition audit will allow all Health Service General Managers to realise the actual condition of their plant, building and equipment assets and will identify the funds required to rectify maintenance backlogs. The review is also assessing ongoing maintenance liability and the recurrent budgets which would be necessary to maintain assets at an acceptable standard. A project manager was appointed to coordinate multi-discipline teams who are inspecting sites throughout the State covering hospital buildings, community and mental health facilities, staff accommodation, equipment and special vehicles. The review is expected to be completed by December 1997. Disposal of land and property A significant asset disposal program was launched to identify surplus or under-performing property such as Heathcote, Sunset and the old Northam Hospital. This released funds for direction to other areas of need within the health system. For example during 1996/97 the Department sold the 10.9 hectare Mt Henry Nursing Home site to Landcorp for $11.76 million. Cabinet approval had already been given to use the funds in the nursing home restructure program. The Department also sold Albany Dental Clinic and staff accommodation in Carnarvon and Three Springs Planning for capital works A Capital Planning Group was formed during the year to coordinate the selection of capital works projects and to develop forward works programs. The group used a strategic approach to ensure assets would be available to support Health Service objectives, including new works proposals and upgrades. It ensured Health Service planning studies had been undertaken and relevant divisions within the Health Department consulted before any capital expenditure was considered for the works program. It also encouraged innovation when Health Services prepared business cases. Alternate methods of service delivery or greater involvement by the private sector in providing services and infrastructure were considered. Capital Works Program 1996/97 The Health Department undertook capital works expenditure of $80.3 million during the year to continue construction of existing major building projects, initiate planning for major new works and to maintain existing facilities. The program will continue funding for construction of facilities at a number of locations across the State including:
Major new works allocation include:
Freedom of Information While the Health Department‘s Central Office processes Freedom of Information applications it receives for documents and provides advice and assistance to other health units, each of the regional health services and major public hospitals acts autonomously for FOI purposes. In the year under review, Central Office decided on 42 FOI applications, compared to the 68 recorded in 1995/96. The average time to process each application was 40 days. Under the terms of the Act, applicants are entitled to appeal if decisions are considered to be unjust. Eight applicants requested internal reviews of decisions and of these, five were varied, one was reversed and four were confirmed. An external review was carried out on one application. In this instance the initial decision was confirmed. To assist public access to information, all agencies, including the Health Department of Western Australia, produce a list of internal manuals and an information statement which contains an overview of the Department’s operations, detailing its structure, types of documents held and advice on how this information may be accessed. Information Systems Internet/ Intranet The implementation of Health’s Internet firewall provided the security and management tools necessary for the connection of the Health Wide Area Network (WAN) to the Internet. All staff with access to the Wide Area Network now have the ability (subject to management approval) to connect to the Internet. The Health Department’s Internet Home Page was formally launched during 1996. Known as HealthWeb, the Home Page provides access to Department and Ministerial press releases, details of Program areas, the Health Providers contact directory, and other relevant public information. HealthWeb can be found on the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.health.wa.gov.au. Information on a Telehealth Expo held at the Health Department was made available on the HealthWeb in time to be demonstrated at CeBit in Hannover during March 1997.
The Health Intranet was officially commissioned in October 1996. Introduced to reduce the dependence on the distribution of information in paper-based form, the Intranet contains up-to-date telephone and related directories and full-text copies of all vacancy notices, information circulars and operational instructions, as well as a large number of documents, manuals, policies and corporate statements. The Health Intranet is known as Holii - the Health On-line Information Intranet. Unrestricted access to Holii is available to all health services staff. Electronic Mail / Office Systems Use of the Microsoft Exchange electronic messaging and scheduling within the Corporate Office took off dramatically this year. Staff now rely heavily on this system for scheduling and communicating within the Department and with external organisations due to the transparent links with the Internet.
Through the use of secure dial-up access health executives can remain in touch with their staff and colleagues when they are away from the office. A small number of staff are taking advantage of remote communications for teleworking. HCARe Rural Business Systems A range of significant business system initiatives have been progressed by the Newcastle Street-based Rural Business Systems Unit in 1996/97. Key projects included the development and piloting of the Ambulatory, Other Patients and Domiciliary Care system at Geraldton Regional Hospital. HCARe Financials Accrual Accounting system, which is now operational at 22 rural health Services, has also seen health services operating their own bank accounts to facilitate cheque production. Both of these systems will provide more timely and effective management reporting information. Legal Services Legal Services is budgeted to provide legal advice to the Health Department as well as the non-teaching hospitals in Western Australia. Commercial projects in which Legal Services were involved included the purchase of public patient services from Health Care of Australia at the Joondalup Health Campus, negotiation of the purchase of public patient services from the Peel Health Campus, implementation of the Bunbury Co-location arrangement, negotiation of the Mt Henry Replacement Nursing Home Project with Anglican Homes, the sale of surplus land at the Mt Henry site to Landcorp and a range of other commercial contracts covering topics such as the purchase of medical imaging services. Litigation Significant litigation in which Legal Services has been involved includes an injunction application made in the Supreme Court and litigation pertaining to the Liquor Act in which the Executive Director, Public Health had an interest. Policy Legal Services is often drawn into policy development issues. Key policy development issues for the past year have concerned the establishment of District Councils as agencies or district boards under the Hospitals and Health Services Act 1927 and the creation of the Metropolitan Health Service Board. Competition Legal Services is working with its client base to educate them as to the impact of National Competition Policy. National Competition Policy has a significant impact on the government health industry. National Competition Policy involves three aspects:
Public Relations and Ministerial Support Technology and change was a major theme for the Public Relations unit over the year. In line with most Government agencies, the Health Department joined the World Wide Web with its own Home page. The new Web site was developed in-house and has links to other Health Department Home pages as well as the Minister for Health’s site. The Department’s press statements, quarterly newsletter and other publications became accessible on Internet, providing the Department with a national and international mechanism for rapid and widespread communication. The unit had a busy year with media liaison, particularly leading up to the State election in December 1996. The Department released or prepared 231 health media statements in the reporting period, covering subjects ranging from disease (Ross River Virus and Australian Encephalitis, Legionnaire’s Disease, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases) to environmental health issues (mosquito control, radiation health, safe food handling) and information on other health issues (Aboriginal health, rural health, hospital waiting lists and health service developments). Some of the main issues of public interest were the Telehealth Expo, a major human genetics conference and campaigns on immunisation, Quit smoking, Drug Awareness and organ donation in WA. During the year the unit supported the Minister for Health’s office, ensuring the smooth flow of information between the Department and the Minister. Four issues of the Health Department’s journal Healthview were published in-house and the magazine was revamped to bring it in to line with other corporate material. Publications Supplemental to the large number of publications and other resource materials produced by the Health Promotion Services branch, the Department’s other branches and service units published more than 60 documents in 1996/97.
Examples include:
Audit and Accountability The unit operated on a model following a major review of audit services in the context of recent Department restructures. For example, devolution of the responsibility for internal audit to the various Boards of Management and the out-sourcing of internal audit activities. Specific Unit initiatives in 1996/97 included: the introduction of formal risk management, the introduction of a structured approach to internal control (MICA); a complete overhaul of the current delegation schedule; undertaking a leadership role in the use of E-mail and the intra-net for information collection, storage and dissemination; nomination as a pilot site for the proposed Electronic Data Management System (EDMS). Energy Management The Health Department has continued with a number of initiatives to support sound energy management. Existing building management systems are being developed together with the development of new information technology systems for engineering and asset works management. These are designed to reduce energy wastage, monitor engineering plant and equipment, and to ensure systems are operated and maintained at peak efficiency. As an example of current activities, this year an energy audit was underaken at Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital to monitor energy consumption and identify needs on site. The audit identified which items of plant and equipment could be converted to natural gas and will be followed by a detailed heating system review in 1997/98. Waste paper This year the Health Department recycled 19.3 tonnes of waste paper, compared to 15.6 tonnes in 1995/96. Pricing Policy The Department raises a number of fees and charges, the majority of which are covered under State Legislative powers. Revenue generated from these fees and charges forms an important source of funds to the State Consolidated Fund and Government operations through the Hospital Fund. The primary focus adopted when considering fees and charges is to ensure that access to health services is not restricted to relevant individuals or groups. Departmental Fees and Charges The Department instigates ongoing reviews of Departmental fees and charges. Given the diverse nature of fees and charges controlled by the Department, a range of policies are available to establish these reviews, the most appropriate is chosen depending on the purpose of the fee. Policies on pricing changes for fees and charges generally are considered with two aspects in mind, that being:
The majority of departmental charges are raised under lesilative powers and are published in the Government Gazette. Hospital Fees and Charges A review of hospital fees has resulted in increased charges from July 1996. The most significant source of patient income is derived from the health insurance funds on behalf of private patients. This is followed by income derived from insurance organisations on behalf of patients covered by compensation. As the Commonwealth has a major role in setting the basic health insurance framework. The policies of the Federal Government have a major influence on the pricing of hospital services, particularly is the case private share ward accommodation, nursing home and pharmaceuticals dispensed to outpatients. |
