The objective of the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services (NPA IPHS) is to drive major improvements in public hospital service delivery and better health outcomes for Australians.

The Agreement will facilitate improved access to public hospital services, including elective surgery and emergency department (ED) services, and subacute care.

The objectives and outcomes of the Agreement will be achieved by:

(a) a higher proportion of elective surgery patients being seen within clinically recommended times, and a reduction in the number of patients waiting beyond the clinically recommended time (as set out in Schedule A of the Agreement);

(b) a higher proportion of ED patients either physically leaving the ED for admission to hospital, being referred to another hospital for treatment, or being discharged within four hours (as set out in Schedule C of the Agreement);

(c) more subacute care beds being available for patients (as set out in Schedule E of the Agreement); and

(d) projects being completed to support increased access to elective surgery, reduced ED waiting times and more subacute care (as set out in Schedules B, D and F of the Agreement).