AHHA is Australia’s national peak body for public hospitals and healthcare providers. Our membership includes state and territory health departments, Local Hospital Networks (LHNs) and public hospitals, community health services, Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and primary healthcare providers, aged care providers, universities, individual health professionals and academics. As such, we are uniquely placed to be an independent, national voice for universal high-quality healthcare to benefit the whole community.
A longstanding advocate for health sector workforce development, AHHA appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback on the Strategy as it supports our mission of creating a healthy Australia supported by the best possible health system. We recognised the pivotal role that the AOD workforce plays in the delivery of quality care and services provision and that urgent attention is needed to build this critical component of Australia’s AOD response. AHHA recognises the importance of addressing alcohol and other drugs (AOD) issues through a health and social care lens within an integrated health system (including a skilled and supported AOD workforce) that is built around what matters to people and communities.
AHHA acknowledges the work of National AOD coalition, a collaboration of organisations from across the sector of the alcohol and other drug treatment fields, representing the diverse roles and experiences across the sector. This coalition includes alcohol and other drug service providers, consumer and carer representatives, professional societies and research centres, and state and territory alcohol and other drugs peak networks, representing hundreds of local and state based AOD treatment service providers.