Better health and ageing for all Australians

Primary and Ambulatory Care Division (PACD)

Information on the Primary and Ambulatory Care Division

With a focus of providing better health care for all Australians, the PACD has responsibility for the development of primary and ambulatory care policy, and management of a range of programs that fund the establishment, delivery and maintenance of better health services, including general practice incentives, allied and community health services, and prevention and promotion activities in rural communities.

The PACD works towards achieving the departmental vision of “better health and active ageing for all Australians” by strengthening evidence based policy advising, improving program management, supporting research and collaboration with other agencies and external stakeholders aimed at:

      • Improving access to comprehensive, community-based health care, including through first point of call services for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ill-health, and for ongoing management of chronic disease (Outcome 5); and
      • Improving access to health services for people living in rural, regional and remote Australia including through health infrastructure and outreach services (Outcome 6). To further this objective Rural and Regional Health Australia was created within the Division subsuming the Office of Rural Health (ORH).

First Assistant Secretary

Mark Booth
Telephone: (02) 6289 3944

Branches

The Primary and Ambulatory Care Division consists of the following Branches:
  • Primary Health Care Infrastructure and Support Branch
  • Medicare Locals Branch
  • Policy Development Branch
  • Rural and Regional Health Australia
  • GP Super Clinics