Department of Health III

Full description

On 12 August 2009, the Bracks' Labor government established two separate departments for Human Services and Health to improve the overall quality of services to Victorian families and communities.

The Department of Health (DOH) VA 4921 was established by Order of the Governor-in-Council under the Public Administration Act 2004. The Order took effect on 12 August 2009.

The new DOH incorporated the functions of health, mental health and drugs and aged care. The Department of Human Services (VA 3970) incorporated the functions of disability; housing; children, youth and families.

At its creation the DOH reported to the following ministers: Health; Mental Health; Senior Victorians; Community Services. The Department had four operating divisions comprising: Health and Hospital Services Performance; Wellbeing, Integrated Care and Ageing; Mental Health, Drugs and Regions; Strategy, Policy and Finance.

The new Department had eight geographical regions. The three metropolitan regions were: Eastern Metropolitan; North and West Metropolitan; Southern Metropolitan. The five rural regions were: Barwon-South Western; Gippsland; Grampians; Hume; Loddon Mallee.

Following the 27 November 2010 state election under the new Liberal Baillieu ministry, the DOH reported to the Minister for Health, Minister for Ageing, the Minister for Mental Health.

With the machinery of government changes the Office of Senior Victorians was transferred to the DOH from the Department of Planning and Community Development.

The DOH was restructured with the corporate functions in Strategy, Policy and Finance divided into two divisions. The functions of Chief Information Officer and Industrial Relations were moved from the Health, and Hospital Services Performance division to the new Finance and Corporate Services division.

In 2011 the DOH's five organisational divisions were: Health and Hospital Services Performance; Wellbeing, Integrated Care and Ageing; Mental Health, Drugs and Regions; Finance and Corporate Services; Strategy and Policy. The Department's eight geographical regions remained the same.

On 1 January 2015 the Department of Health III (DOH) (VA 4921) was renamed the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (VA 5037) by Order of the Governor-in-Council under section 10 of the Public Administration Act 2004 (Victorian Government Gazette, S 432, 4 Dec 2014). The name change was part of machinery-of-government changes made by the incoming Labor Government under the leadership of Premier the Hon Daniel Andrews MP, which reduced the number of existing State departments from nine to seven.