Thoughtful conversations on the future of Australian health and aged care. The policy, the people, and the stories shaping our sector.
During Covid, Sydney moved almost everyone sleeping rough into hotels. At one point only 60 to 70 people were left outside, and most were fast-tracked into supported housing.
Erin Longbottom leads St Vincent's Health Australia's Homeless Health Service in Sydney and this year became Australia's first National Director of Homelessness inside a healthcare group. She says the pandemic proved homelessness is solvable when governments choose to invest.
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During Covid, Sydney moved almost everyone sleeping rough into hotels. At one point only 60 to 70 people were left outside, and most were fast-tracked into supported housing.
Ben Gatehouse, Dementia Clinical Nurse Consultant at Mercy Health, on what good care looks like once you accept that memory loss is only part of the illness.
What does a hospital look like when you design it around the patient’s care journey rather than the bed count?
Peter Fahey runs St Vincent’s Private Hospital Lismore, the last independently diocese owned private hospital in the country and the largest private rural hospital in NSW.
The number of older Australians stuck in hospital beds they don't medically need has jumped more than 50 per cent. A new 196-page health reform agreement was meant to fix it.
Reported in-hospital out-of-pockets average $270, while breast cancer patients routinely pay $30,000 to $50,000. A new federal inquiry begins.
Health economist Dr Luke Slawomirski on the 2026 budget, the PHI rebate, and what real reform looks like.
Fixing private hospital funding with a new efficient pricing model. Why now, and what reform looks like.
Health Matters is the podcast from Catholic Health Australia, the peak body for Catholic hospitals, aged care and community service providers.
Each episode brings together the voices behind Australia's healthcare system: clinicians, carers, policymakers and the people they serve. We dig into the issues that shape how Australians are looked after, from funding reform to workforce to the ethics of care. And we don't shy away from the hard questions.
Hosted by the team at Catholic Health Australia, Health Matters brings the people, policy and purpose behind Australian healthcare to the mic. Thoughtful conversations, genuine curiosity, and the occasional laugh along the way.
