QIMR Director leader of health sector of Australia 2020 Summit

QIMR Director, Professor Michael Good was appointed a member of the Steering Committee of the Australia 2020 Summit, a think tank initiated by the Prime Minister to prepare the nation for the challenges of the 21st century.

The Summit addressed economic, environmental and health issues along with Indigenous affairs, the arts, national security, the agricultural sector, government and community.

The Steering Committee was an independent body co-chaired by Professor Glyn Davis and the Prime Minister. Each member of the Steering Committee led one of ten key themes of the Summit and assisted in selecting 100 participants for each of these areas. The panel and their areas were:

Professor Glyn Davis – Chair
Mr Warwick Smith – Productivity (education, skills, training, science0
Dr David Morgan – the future of the Australian economy
Mr Roger Beale AO – population, sustainability, climate change and water
Mr Tim Fischer AC – future directions for rural industries and rural communities
Professor Michael Good – a long-term national health strategy
Mr Tim Costello AO – strengthening communities, supporting families and social inclusion
Dr Jackie Huggins – options for the future of Indigenous Australia
Ms Cate Blanchett – towards a creative Australia
Mr John Hartigan – the future of Australian Governance
Professor Michael Wesley – Australia’s future security and prosperity

The long-term national health strategy as envisaged by the Australian Government seeks to improve preventative measures and increase access to health services so as to reduce hospital admissions. It also intends to see the hospital system reformed and the national medical research effort expanded.

To address these critical issues, Professor Good led his team of 100 top thinkers in determining:

• How we invest to help prevent chronic and acute health problems
• How we plan to ensure all Australians continue to have access to the very best of modern medical technology including pharmaceuticals
• How we meet the emerging regulatory challenges of modern medical technology
• The use of electronic infrastructure to facilitate efficient and effective patient care
• Strategies to preserve Australia’s internationally unique blend of public and private health services
• How Australia best plans for the future demands on our medical workforce.

The Summit was held at Parliament House, Canberra on 19 and 20 April 2008. Further information can be found at the website for the Summit: http://www.australia2020.gov.au..

Read Professor Good's comments on the Health Stream prior to the Summit

Initital Report following the summit

ABC video on the health group's vision