Increasing levels of health expenditure is of great concern both in Australia and overseas. Growth in health expenditure is generally driven by increased income, technological innovations, population growth, demographic changes in the population ( ageing etc) and increasing consumer expectations. It is widely acknowledged that health care should achieve good health, low cost, equity and satisfaction. Without effective planning and management, there is no guarantee that health expenditure will deliver health benefits or gains. Health services have been considered as a basic right that contributes to economic and social wellbeing.
Under an increasing demand for health services, resource allocation and health planning to maximise health gains will be a challenge. Sustaining the current level and improving the delivery of health services could be possible with radical changes or reforms in health management and system of resource allocation.