Good people, bad system’ aims to provoke ideas and stimulate the national conversation around the design of an integrated, long-term national health and wellbeing system.
The title ‘Good people, bad system’ draws inspiration from Deming’s quote ‘A bad system will beat a good person every time.’
When the Australian health system was overhauled fifty years ago, it was a significant improvement on the previous system. It provided universal healthcare and was very good at treating sick people, which was fine when the average age was 72 years.
Today, the average age has risen to 83. People are living longer and with more complex chronic illnesses. Because the population has changed, the system is no longer fit for purpose.
Australia now needs a system focused on wellness, not sickness.
This document describes a vision for integrated regional health and wellbeing systems that we believe will lay the foundations for the next fifty years. This vision includes the following ten system elements: