Transforming the Australian Healthcare System

Transformations in healthcare system

Healthcare systems in Australia and around the world are struggling with the same issues: service access and demand, workforce shortages and staff burn out to name a few. In the future, the pandemic will likely prove to be just the first of several successive waves of crises expected to place escalating pressure on the sector. Globally, healthcare systems are at risk of being overwhelmed and senior leaders are under immense pressure to act. New approaches to healthcare challenges are needed because historic methods are unlikely to be effective in responding to the magnitude of current and future challenges.

A fundamental change in course is needed in the ways that healthcare systems operate, and urgent action is needed to help healthcare organisations survive and thrive amid successive waves of crises and challenges. This change needs to focus on a more inclusive approach to system reform in which the power of technology, community activation and workforces are leveraged together creating ecosystems that enable seamless interactions between local, national, and global organisations.

This need for fundamental change post pandemic is widely acknowledged within the Australian healthcare sector, with several state health systems setting out ambitious reform plans and the recent release of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report. These changes will demand that we step beyond entrenched positions, collaborate across organisational and jurisdictional boundaries, and listen more carefully to less powerful voices including those of consumers. 

The Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in Australia serves as a model for empowering communities in the healthcare sector. We should look to this example as we seek to increase the role of patients, carers, and communities in the design of health services that better meet their needs. Here KPMG makes our contribution to this important public discussion.

How KPMG can help

The challenges highlighted in this report are applicable across health, ageing, and human services organisations. If you would like to discuss the insights in this report, and how they are applicable to your organisation, please reach out to us and we will ensure you are connected to the right sector specialist.