About NSW Health
What we do
The NSW Department of Health works to provide the people of NSW with the best possible healthcare.
We support the executive and statutory roles of the NSW Minister for Health, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health Services).
The NSW Minister for Health is the Hon. Reba Meagher, MP.
The Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) is the Hon. Verity Firth, MP and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health Services) is the Hon. Paul Lynch, MP.
We monitor the performance of the NSW public health system, known as NSW Health.
Our vision is for everyone in NSW Health to work together to achieve "Healthy People - now and in the future".
Our goals are to:
- keep people healthy
- provide the health care that people need
- deliver high quality services and
- manage health services well.
We report our performance against these goals in our Annual Report.
The State Health Plan, was released in March 2007. It outlines the NSW Government's health priorities and sets out strategic directions for NSW Health to guide the development of the NSW public health system towards 2010 and beyond.
Where we fit
In addition to the Department of Health, NSW Health comprises Area Health Services, statutory health corporations and affiliated health organisations.
There are 8 Area Health Services that are responsible for providing health services in a wide range of settings, from primary care posts in the remote outback to metropolitan tertiary health centres.
The Ambulance Service of NSW is responsible for providing responsive, high quality clinical care in emergency situations, including pre-hospital care, rescue, retireval and patient transport services.
Other public health organisations provide statewide or specialist health services:
The Cancer Institute is a statutory body charged with substantially improving cancer control in NSW.