Oz health system "too complex"

The health system in Australia is "too complex" for patients, the OECD has declared.

The country "should improve the integration of care", advises the organisation, arguing that the system's complexity is exacerbated by a split in funding and responsibilities between the federal and state and territory governments.

"With an ageing population and the anticipated rise in chronic disease, Australia needs to strengthen primary health care to better co-ordinate the care of patients," says the report. "Poor co-ordination of care increases the risk of medical errors that are unacceptable to patients and costly for the health system."

One proposed solution is to devolve responsibility for delivering primary care to the states and territories, to better align it with hospital and community services.