The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, previously the Department of Health and Aged Care, is the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

department responsible for funding and regulation of

health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

aged care Elderly care, or simply eldercare (also known in parts of the English-speaking world as aged care), serves the needs of old adults. It encompasses assisted living, adult daycare, long-term care, nursing homes (often called residential care), hos ...

and some disability programs. It also is involved in preventative

health promotion Health promotion is, as stated in the 1986 World Health Organization (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, the "process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health." Scope The WHO's 1986 Ottawa Charter for ...

programs. The department manages schemes such as Medicare and the

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a program of the Australian Government that subsidises prescription medication for Australian citizens and permanent residents, as well as international visitors covered by a reciprocal health car ...

, and agencies such as the

Therapeutic Goods Administration The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is the medicine and therapeutic regulatory agency of the Australian Government. As part of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the TGA regulates the safety, quality, efficacy and advertisi ...

and National Blood Authority. The department is responsible to parliament through the

Minister for Health and Ageing The Minister for Health and Ageing is the position in the Australian cabinet responsible for national health and wellbeing and medical research. The incumbent Minister is Labor MP Mark Butler. In the Government of Australia, the minister is res ...

, a

cabinet minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...

, and is supported by two other ministers and two assistant ministers. The

department secretary In Australia, a departmental secretary is the most senior public servant of an Australian Government or state government department. They are typically responsible for the day-to-day actions of a department. Role A departmental secretary ...

, Blair Comley, is responsible for the day-to-day accountability of the organisation. The Chief Medical Officer is Professor Tony Lawler and the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer is Allison McMillan, who both oversee clinical operations.

History

The first Department of Health was established in 1921 and was the precursor to today's Department of Health. It was dissolved in 1987, when it was merged with the Department of Community Services to form the

Department of Community Services and Health The Department of Community Services and Health was an Australian government department that existed between July 1987 and June 1991. History The Department of Community Services and Health was one of 16 "super-ministries" announced ...

. In June 1991, the

Department of Health, Housing and Community Services The Department of Health, Housing and Community Services was an Australian government department that existed between June 1991 and March 1993. Scope Information about the department's functions and government funding allocation cou ...

was formed when housing industry programs were transferred from the

Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. In March 1993 the

Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs The Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs was an Australian government department that existed between July 1987 and March 1993. Scope Information about the department's functions and government funding alloca ...

joined with the Department of Health, Housing and Community Services to form the

Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services The Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services was an Australian government department that existed between March and December 1993. The Department was created when the local government functions of the Depart ...

. Subsequently, in December 1993, the department was abolished and replaced with the

Department of Human Services and Health Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. Also in 1994, the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health was established. After a new government was elected in March 1996, the Department of Health and Family Services was formed. The department also had responsibility for the

Supported Accommodation Assistance Program The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) is aimed at reducing homelessness in Australia. SAAP started in 1985 when Commonwealth and State/Territory funding programs were brought together. The object of the new arrangement was to grant ...

from the former Department of Housing and Regional Development. Later, the department assumed responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health matters from the

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) (1990–2005) was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting thei ...

. After the October 1998 election, the department was abolished and replaced by the Australian Federal Department of Health and Aged Care, named to reflect new responsibilities and functions. Responsibility for Family and Children's Services, Disability Programs and the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service were transferred to the Department of Family and Community Services on 22 October 1998. Following the November 2001 election, the Australian Federal Department of Health and Aged Care was abolished and replaced with the Australian Federal

Department of Health and Ageing The Australian Federal Department of Health and Ageing was an Australian government department that existed between November 2001 and September 2013. The department was created after the 2001 federal election from the Department of ...

. The Australian Federal Department of Health and Ageing was abolished in 2013 and replaced by the Australian Federal Department of Health on 18 September 2013 by way of an Administrative Arrangements Order issued by the

governor-general Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

on the recommendation of the

Abbott government The Abbott government was the federal executive government of Australia led by the 28th Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The government was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition. The Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss, served ...

. On 1 July 2022, the Department of Health became the Department of Health and Aged Care following an Administrative Arrangements Order made by the governor-general. The departmental news release explained this as reflecting the "importance of aged care to the community, and the department’s focus on aged care reform" following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. On 13 May 2025, the department was renamed Department of Health, Disability and Ageing following another Administrative Arrangements Order. The

National Disability Insurance Scheme The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a scheme of the Australian Government that funds reasonable and necessary supports associated with significant and permanent disability for people under 65 years old. The scheme was first int ...

and Foundational Supports were also transferred from the Department of Social Services to the newly renamed department. Sport and recreation policy and functions were transferred to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.

Overview

Leadership

Scope

According to the Administrative Arrangements Order issued 13 May 2025, matters dealt with by the department include: * Public health, including health promotion, health protection, and disease prevention * Health and medical research * Primary health care and mental health care systems * Hospital funding and policy, including oversight of the National Health Reform Agreement and the National Health and Hospitals Network framework * Private health insurance *

Pharmaceutical Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

and Medicare benefit schemes * Hearing services funding and policy, and the Australian Hearing Services program * Specific health services and human health biosecurity, such as human quarantine * Alcohol and other drug strategy * The National Disability Insurance Scheme and Foundational Supports * Services for

older adults Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

and their carers * Therapeutic goods and industrial chemicals regulation * Gene technology * Health provider compliance * Blood and organ donation policy and funding * Health workforce capacity, regulation and insurance indemnification * Blood, organ policy and funding * Active and healthy ageing policy and research, other than employment policies

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Department Of Health

Health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

Australia, Health

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Public policy in Australia Medical and health organisations based in Australia Health policy in Australia 2013 establishments in Australia

History

Overview

Leadership

Scope

See also

References