The Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand (HSRAANZ) welcomes the Federal Government's 2025 record health commitments including:
- $7.9 billion to encourage more bulk billing,
- $644 million to establish a further 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics,
- $1.8 billion to fund public hospitals and health services in 2025–26 (representing a 12% increase)
- $792.9 million to deliver more choices for women’s healthcare.
Although the budget’s substantial investments to health provision are critically important, we stress the crucial role of health services research in translating research findings into tangible improvements for Australian patients. Health services research - the key to transforming these commitments into meaningful patient outcomes - has disappointingly received no notable increased investment in this year’s budget.
With Australia facing profound demographic shifts, including an aging population experiencing rising chronic illness rates, health services research has never been more crucial. It is the bridge between policy, medical innovation, and real-world healthcare delivery.
While new PBS listings and Medicare strengthening measures are welcome, the real impact lies in structural reform and careful evaluation of how these interventions are implemented. Health services research provides the critical evidence base to ensure our healthcare system becomes more efficient, equitable, and effective.
“While many good measures to address cost of living issues and health care delivery are in the budget, we are advocating for increased investment in research that doesn’t focus on always finding new and better interventions, but rather provides evidence on how best to implement what we already know works so that health care can be effective, efficient and equitable.” - HSRAANZ President A.Prof Alison Pearce
HSRAANZ urges the government to recognise health services research not as an academic exercise, but as a strategic imperative critical to safeguarding the future of Australia’s healthcare system through optimisation and system reform.