HPESG acknowledges the ongoing work of the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) in progressing the intentions of the National Health Reform Agreement and appreciates the opportunity to comment through this short submission on IHPA’s draft work program for 2016-2017. Our response is in relation to Program Objective 3(f): the development of a new classification for Activity Based Funding (ABF) for Teaching, Training and Research (TTR).

Recently IHPA’s Executive Director presented to HPESG on the TTR work. The presentation indicated that despite some limitations in hospital data collected in 2015, IHPA believes that a comprehensive classification can be developed, at least for the Teaching and Training (TT) component of TTR.  In contrast, the complexities of research activity suggest that this specific part of TTR requires further exploration and is likely to be classified and costed separately. HPESG appreciates the clarity that the TT component of IHPA’s 2016-2017 work program will bring to the health and education sectors alike in respect of clinical education and training for pre-registration students in the health professions, and in relation to hospital-based research activities.