Chairs and Deputy Chairs of two of key bodies that will oversee reforms of Australia’s national health system were announced following the meeting of the Council of Australian Governments on Friday.

 

Mr Shane Solomon will be the inaugural Chair and Mr Jim Birch will the inaugural Deputy Chair of the interim Independent Hospitals Pricing Authority (IHPA).

 

The IHPA will set the national price for public hospital services and will develop a national activity-based funding system. The interim IHPA will be established as an executive agency, separate from any Commonwealth government department, effective from 1 September 2011. It will be replaced with an independent statutory authority once the Commonwealth Parliament has passed the necessary legislation.

 

Ms Patricia Faulkner AO will be appointed as the inaugural Chair and Mr John Walsh will be inaugural Deputy Chair of the National Health Performance Authority (NHPA), which will provide the public with information about the public health system.