Northern Territory Numbered Acts

HEALTH SERVICES ACT 2014 (NO 18 OF 2014) - SECT 3

This Act recognises and gives effect to the principles and objectives of a unified Australian health system, namely:

    (a)     the following Medicare principles:

        (i)     eligible persons are to be given the choice to receive, free of charge as public patients, health and emergency services of a kind that are currently, or were historically, provided by hospitals;

        (ii)     access to these services by public patients free of charge is to be on the basis of clinical need and within a clinically appropriate period;

        (iii)     arrangements are to be in place to ensure equitable access to the services for all eligible persons regardless of their geographic location; and

    (b)     the Australian health system principles – Australia's health system should:

        (i)     be shaped around the health needs of individual patients, their families and communities; and

        (ii)     focus on the prevention of disease and injury and the maintenance of health and not simply on the treatment of illness; and

        (iii)     support an integrated approach to the promotion of healthy lifestyles, prevention of illness and injury, and diagnosis and treatment of illness across the continuum of care; and

        (iv)     provide all Australians with timely access to quality health services based on their needs, not their ability to pay, regardless of where they live in the country; and

    (c)     the following long-term objectives for Australia's health system:

        (i)     prevention – Australians are born and remain healthy;

        (ii)     primary and community health – Australians receive appropriate high quality and affordable primary and community health services;

        (iii)     hospital and related care – Australians receive appropriate high quality and affordable hospital and hospital-related care;

        (iv)     aged care – Australians receive appropriate high quality and affordable health and aged care services;

        (v)     patient experience – Australians have positive health and aged care experiences that take account of individual circumstances and care needs;

        (vi)     social inclusion and Indigenous health – Australia's health system promotes social inclusion and reduces disadvantage, especially for Indigenous Australians;

        (vii)     sustainability – Australians have a sustainable health system.