A landmark independent review commissioned by the Albanese Government has found that virtually all the nation's health professions face restrictions and barriers in working to their fullest - restrictions that are unrelated to their skills, training and experience.
The review found that inconsistencies across states and territories make it harder for patients to get the care they need, and for health practitioners to move to where they're needed. Healthcare activity that one state enables and supports, another state may block or restrict.
The review found that removing these barriers would make it easier for Australians to get high quality care, when and where they need it, without waiting weeks for an appointment.
This is particularly the case in regional and remote areas, where a health professional may be available and yet the regulatory and legislative settings may not authorise or enable them to provide care that is within their skills, training and experience - or what's known as their 'scope of practice'.
Fewer needless barriers would mean health teams work better together across disciplines and health professionals have greater job satisfaction, making it more likely they stay in the workforce for longer.
The 'Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce' Review (the Review) was headed by Professor Mark Cormack and encompassed the health professions that work outside of hospital settings. This includes general practitioners, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, paramedics, allied health practitioners, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and workers.
The Review proposes 18 recommendations across a number of reform areas, including workforce design, development, education and planning; legislation and regulation; and funding and payment policy.
The year-long review involved extensive stakeholder consultation: more than 700 people attended 31 public consultation sessions, more than 200 organisations and groups attended another 100 sessions, and close to 1,200 written submissions were received.
The Review was supported by the University of Queensland and an Expert Advisory Committee that included patients, health experts, and representatives from major peak professional bodies like the Australian Medical Association, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Association, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Allied Health Professions Australia, among many others.
The Government will carefully consider the findings and recommendations of the Review alongside other primary health care and workforce review reports.
The report is available here:
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"This review validates the frustrations of so many of our incredible health professionals: the health system does not enable and support them to consistently deliver the care that is within their skills, training and experience.
"This is not a case of a single profession missing out. The review tells us that virtually all health professions are held back by restrictions and barriers that are unrelated to their skills, training and experience.
"Removing these barriers would make it easier for Australians to get high quality health care, when and where they need it, without waiting weeks or driving long distances.
"Many of the recommendations will require collaboration between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments, as well as consultation with peak professional organisations, Ahpra, patient groups, and the sector more broadly. I look forward to these discussions.
"I want to thank Professor Cormack and the Expert Advisory Committee for engaging with the health sector so extensively in the development of the report."
