Workforce


The core business of the Australian health workforce is to provide effective and safe quality care that improves the health and wellbeing of the Australian community. However, many countries are facing similar challenges, in having a workforce that can deliver equitable, accessible, sustainable and safe health care. Therefore, a number of concentrated efforts are being undertaken to look at workforce planning and development.

With a changing medical workforce and changing workplace practices and environments this has been a challenge. There is a move away from traditional models of care and patterns of medical work and a shift towards service and workforce redesign. Workforce development and planning is influenced by many factors, and trends and changes in the workforce can be of an economic, demographic, social, legal, government and technological nature (Health Workforce Australia Website, Health Workforce Information Clearing House, 20051).

The Workforce Portfolio provides recommendations to emerging workforce policy issues, engaging with stakeholders to progress ideas to address a changing health system and medical workforce.

Policies

Workforce Survey

Specialist Re-entry Program (SREP)

The aim of the Specialist Re-entry Program is to assist specialist doctors to re-enter the workforce following career interruptions. This will assist in alleviating specialist workforce shortages, enable specialists to refresh their clinical skills and improve patient access to specialty services.

Re-entering specialists participating in this program will be eligible for three months refresher support including:

  • A supported clinical placement (where this occurs in a private practice, services will attract the Medicare rebate)
  • Mentor support; and
  • Other individually tailored support arrangements negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Host practices participating in this program will be eligible for financial incentives to assist in facilitating a re-entering specialist’s refreshing clinical placement.

Further Information: racp@racp.edu.au

Outer Metropolitan Specialist Training Program (OMSTP)

The Outer Metropolitan Specialist Training Program is an initiative of the Australian Government acting through the Department of Health and Ageing. The Program is designed to develop and implement specialist training programs in private practices and Aboriginal medical services, which provide services to patients of outer metropolitan areas.

The College has participated in the OMSTP since 2004. Placements under this Program have provided specialist trainees with the opportunity to gain access to a range of clinical experiences that may not be available in teaching hospitals.

The College supports Advanced Trainees undertaking part of their training program in private practice settings given that the issues of supervision, appropriate training, remuneration and medical indemnity can be addressed.

Further information: racp@racp.edu.au

1. http://amwac.health.nsw.gov.au/amwac/pdf/2_aboutwp.pdf

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