We don’t accept second-best when it comes to the safety and integration of airline travel. We expect to arrive safely in time for connecting flights or other bookings. Neither should we accept compromises in the safety, quality and integration of healthcare and hospital treatment.

Yet through years of under-funding, political neglect and buck passing, this is what has occurred in Australia. While most people receive high quality care, there are far too many avoidable mistakes occurring, with often serious consequences for patients.

Mostly, these mistakes are not the fault of individuals. They occur because the hospital system as a whole has had unrealistic demands placed on it, without being given sufficient resources, and the linkages between the various providers of health services are fragmented.

These problems cannot be solved by individual hospitals. They require a coordinated and strategic approach from governments of all jurisdictions. Federal leadership is vital and should be a high election priority for both major parties.

The good news is that there are some well-documented and evidenced-based strategies that can be implemented straightaway to improve the safety and quality of healthcare.

The first is the introduction of electronic medication records to reduce some of the most commonly occurring mistakes within the health system. This would save lives as well as dollars. For example, medication error has been estimated to result in 80,000 hospital admissions in Australian and costs around $350 million per year.

Medication errors often occur when people move from one form of care to another, for example, from hospital to GP care in the community. Electronic medication records would enable care providers to find out immediately about any changes in their patients’ medications, greatly reducing the risk of errors such as double dosing or missing important medications.

The second is the systematic adoption of known best practice. Clinical Practice Guidelines provide clinicians with the best available evidence on treatment for specific conditions. Incorporating these guidelines into standard hospital practices and General Practice will ensure that consistently high quality care is provided to all patients.

These changes can only be achieved with an accountability system that integrates hospital and community-based health care. This challenge must be met by the incoming Federal government. In the lead-up to the next election, the electorate needs to send a strong message to both major parties that near enough isn’t good enough when it comes to their health.