ACT Health values
ACT Health's values are Care, Excellence, Collaboration and Integrity. Read more in our Corporate Plan.
Our healthcare services
ACT Health aims to deliver the best possible healthcare and health-related services in Australia, through its public hospitals - Calvary Hospital and Canberra Hospital; Community Health; Mental Health ACT; Capital Region Cancer Service; Aged care and Rehabilitaion Service and Population Health, including the Health Protection Service.
For more information about our healthcare services visit the Health Services section of this website.
ACT Health is fully accredited with the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), from head office right through to all its service delivery entities.
ACT Health is smoke-free. We are dedicated to protecting healthcare consumers, visitors and staff from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. Smoking is not allowed at any ACT Health facility, except in a designated outdoor smoking area.
Health policy
ACT Health sets health policy and plans the delivery of health services, while ensuring these services meet community needs. ACT Health also funds a range of non-Government organisations to provide vital healthcare services to the people of the ACT and surrounding region.
To locate ACT Health policy documents, visit the Policies and Plans section of this website.
The key health document access health sets the broad direction for public health services in the ACT, guiding more detailed planning. ACT Health's Corporate Plan 2006-10 outlines the organisation's vision, mission and values.
Your Health-Our Priority outlines the infrastructure and asset capacity required to build a sustainable and modern health system to ensure the safety, availability and ongoing viability of quality health care in the ACT.
ACT Health's Access Improvement Program is a major change program aimed at redesigning the way we provide healthcare services. The program focuses on the patient's journey through the healthcare system, while providing a structured change management framework.
The National E-Health Strategy was endorsed by Health Ministers in December 2008. The Strategy provides a framework and plan aimed at delivering a safer, better connected and more sustainable health care system over the next decade.
How healthy are we?
The people of the ACT enjoy excellent health in comparison with other parts of Australia. Life expectancy is higher than in any other jurisdiction, and mortality rates from chronic disease are lower in the ACT compared with the rest of the country.
There are, however, areas of concern, including health inequalities between population groups, population differentials for social factors that influence health, disease prevention, lifestyle factors and service access issues.