Evolution not revolution: Reforming Australian healthcare to achieve better outcomes

In June 2025, the Towards One Healthcare System Summit convened ~200 stakeholders from across Australia’s healthcare ecosystem in Canberra. Led by Nous Group, a provocative plenary session followed by structured small group discussions generated valuable ideas, deep insights, and practical proposals for health system reform.

This paper synthesises the contributions across four key domains: primary care reform, funding and governance, digital health, and the evolving public/private sector relationship. Across each theme, workshop participants identified system-level inefficiencies, governance challenges, and emerging opportunities to improve health equity, sustainability, and patient outcomes and experience.

The emerging consensus was clear: reform is not just possible but essential, and it must start with aligning funding to function, empowering primary care, and shifting cultural mindsets. However, a consistent theme emerged that our health system as a whole is performing very well although not equitably, thus a focus on evolution not revolution is paramount.

Get in touch to discuss what the future of Australian healthcare looks like and how you can be a part of it.

Connect with Dr Paul Eleftheriou, Ray Messom, and  Raj Verma on LinkedIn.

Input provided by Yael Cass, Penny Gregory, Mark Booth, Nirali Daiya, Scarlett Elkins Priest, Sophie Rothery, Ria Nerlikar, and Lyndon Goddard of Eucalyptus Health.