Presentation to Australasian College of Health Service Management, Webcast, July 2018
Complications suffered in hospitals cause harm and expense to patients – and they also cost hospitals money. Complications cost Australian hospitals more than the revenue they receive from those complications. In this presentation to the Australasian College of Health Service Management, Grattan Institute’s Health Program Director Stephen Duckett proposes changes to the way we manage and regulate hospitals, to improve the quality of care for patients and to save money for taxpayers. In particular, the outcomes for all patients should be measured and the safety of all hospitals should be tested during unannounced visits by inspection teams. And the results of hospital accreditation visits and assessments should be made public.