The Commission has been established to develop a long-term health reform plan for a modern Australia.

On 25 February 2008, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health and Ageing announced the establishment of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission.

The Commission has been established to develop a long-term health reform plan for a modern Australia. The Chair of the Commission is Dr Christine Bennett, who is currently Chief Medical Officer of BUPA Australia Ltd. Nine other Commissioners will assist Dr Bennett. They are: 

•  Rob Knowles, former Victorian Health Minister;
• Geoff Gallop, former Premier of Western Australia;
• Mukesh Haikerwal, Melbourne GP and immediate past-President of the AMA;
• Stephen Duckett, health economist and former Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health;
• Ron Penny, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of NSW;
• Sabina Knight, Associate Professor, Centre for Remote Health and remote area nurse;
• Sharon Willcox, Director of consulting firm Health Policy Solutions;
• Justin Beilby, Executive Dean of the University of Adelaide’s Medical School; and
• Mary Ann O’Loughlin, Director, The Allen Consulting Group

Following its establishment, the Commission’s first term of reference was to provide by April 2008, advice on the framework for the next Australian Health Care Agreements (AHCAs), including robust performance benchmarks in areas such as (but not restricted to) elective surgery, aged and transition care, and quality of health care.

This was the subject of the Commission’s first report - Beyond the Blame Game: Accountability and performance benchmarks for the next Australian Health Care Agreements 

Click here to view an opinion piece on the Commission by  Brian Shanely in The Australian newspaper October 11 2008.