INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
State of Private Hospitals sector in Australia
Michael Roff CEO Australian Private Hospitals Association
The Australian Private Hospitals Association is the leading industry body that represents the majority of private hospitals in Australia. They provide a diverse range of healthcare services, including general medical surgical hospitals, mental health facilities, and hospitals that provide inpatient rehabilitation. Private hospitals play a crucial role in the Australian health system, comprising about 30% of all hospital beds and provide 40% of admissions and 60% of all surgeries.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA), Michael Roff, has served APHA for the past 30 years, first as Public Affairs Manager in 1994 before being appointed CEO in March 2000.
Recently Mr Roff, advised the APHA Board he will be stepping down in July 2024. Australian Health Journal spoke with him to discuss the recent announcement by the Federal Government to retain the General Use Items, an issue APHA has successfully lobbied to retain over the past few years.
Mr Roff also discusses his broader thoughts on the current state of the private hospital sector in Australia and reflecting on the changes over the past 30 years whilst working at APHA and 24 years as the Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Roff talks about the financial challenges due to long-term underfunding, which has led to many hospitals struggling to meet their usual capital expenditure. This issue has caused some private hospitals to close, which reduces the healthcare options available to Australians. According to Mr Roff, it is essential to address this issue to ensure that Australians continue to have access to high-quality, private healthcare services.
The growth in exclusionary health insurance products is also a problem that needs attention, says Mr Roff. Many Australians cannot adequately self-assess their own risk of needing a particular hospital service, which makes it difficult for them to choose the right health insurance policy. Additionally, health insurance intermediaries, which compare health insurance products and provide recommendations, often work on a commission basis, which may not necessarily provide consumers with the best options available.
“To address these issues, it is necessary to create a balanced system that benefits both private hospitals and private health insurance companies. Private hospitals need to receive adequate funding to continue to provide high-quality healthcare services, and private health insurance companies should provide fair payments to private hospitals for their services.”, says Mr Roff.
During Mr Roff’s working career at APHA he has represented the private hospitals sector to nine different Federal Health Ministers and eight Prime Ministers. He believes the government should take steps to regulate the health insurance industry to protect consumers and ensure that Australians have access to affordable and comprehensive healthcare services.
“I have spent half my life and the majority of my professional life with APHA and it has been an honour to represent a sector committed to providing the highest quality health services to millions of Australians each year”, Mr Roff said.
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Awareness, diagnosis and treatment of Congenital Hypothyroidism
Australian Health Journal spoke to Associate Professor MIchelle Jack about congenital hypothyroidism and newborn screening and her concerns in the varying thresholds for across different states in Australia. Despite the existence of newborn screening programs since the 1970s, there is still controversy surrounding the appropriate screening levels. Congenital hypothyroidism, affecting about one in 3500 infants, can lead to severe intellectual and physical impairment if not diagnosed early. The condition is mainly caused by the thyroid gland’s failure to develop properly, resulting in insufficient thyroid hormone production.
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Recognising service in health regulation
In April 2023, Professor John Skerritt retired from his position of Deputy Secretary Health Products Regulation Group, a role he has been in since 2012. During his time at the TGA he had line responsibility for over 1200 staff involved in the regulation of therapeutic goods, regulation of gene technology and industrial chemicals and control of drug import, export and production.
At this year’s ARCS 2023 Conference, ARCS Australia CEO Dr Shanny Dyer paid tribute to Professor Skerritt and his service to the Australian health industry. She led a tribute with fellow industry heads, Elizabeth de Somer, CEO, Medicines Australia, Anne Harris, Managing Director, Pfizer Australia & New Zealand, Deon Schoombie, CEO, Consumer Healthcare Products Australia, Ian Burgess, CEO, Medical Technology Association of Australia and Arthur Brandwood, President ARCS Australia.
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Delivering anaesthetic services to countries where surgical services can’t be provided
Dr Wendy Falloon is an Anaesthetist of over 30 years experience and a Fellow of Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). She studied medicine at the University of Tasmania, and worked in Hobart, Sydney and the Uk while completing her specialist qualifications. Her primary professional focus has always been to deliver the best possible experience of anaesthesia to each and every patient, and for them to know that she sees and values them, and their stories.
Having been born in Africa, she realised even as a child that health and wealth were largely a product of where people happen to be born. This sowed the seed of her ongoing desire to be of help to others in less fortunate circumstances, ultimately leading to her volunteer work with the Mercy Ships charity. This is one of the most fulfilling aspects of her career, and she has volunteered in Africa with Mercy Ships 8 times since 2014.
