The Australian Medical Association says we need an independent agency to guide a national strategy out of policy development that is ‘happening in a vacuum’.
Australia needs an independent national health workforce planning agency to future-proof the nation’s healthcare system and to get away from policy development that is “happening in a vacuum”, says a peak body.
And the AMA has called for a federal government commitment of $182.6 million to establish the agency, as part of its pre-budget submission for 2025-26.
The association said the agency would ensure the medical workforce was distributed where it was needed, improving access to healthcare for all Australians.
The agency would collate and analyse factors such as population demographics, healthcare trends, technological advancements, and the changing nature of diseases to make informed decisions about workforce requirements.
AMA federal president Dr Danielle McMullen said building a sustainable medical workforce was essential for the national healthcare system’s viability.
“There are many regions across Australia where access to healthcare remains a challenge due to maldistribution and shortages,” said Dr McMullen.
“This leads to Australians facing prolonged wait times for appointments, delayed diagnosis and a backlog of care, which adds up to substandard patient health outcomes.”
Dr McMullen said health workforce planning stalled when Health Workforce Australia was abolished in 2014, and the Department of Health and Aged Care had too many competing priorities to properly tackle the issue.
“The impact of the loss of this agency can be seen in the workforce issues we are facing now,” she said.
“Thorough, evidence-based planning, coordination and policy advice is needed on workforce to ensure the healthcare needs of Australians can be met in the future.”
The AMA’s pre-budget submission on Australia’s healthcare workforce provides costed solutions to current workforce shortages, which are leading to more Australians struggling to receive timely care.
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It said the proposal aligned with recommendations of the 2021–2031 National Medical Workforce Strategy that called for a joint medical workforce planning and advisory body with sufficient authority and expertise to advise and make recommendations on the size and structure of the medical workforce.
AMA Council of Doctors in Training chair Dr Sanjay Hettige said Australia faced a situation where no-one knew how many medical students were needed to meet future community need.
“Policy development is happening in a vacuum, and we are seeing a growing number of doctors in training unable to access a specialty training place,” said Dr Hettige.
“A national health workforce planning agency would ensure Australia has a health workforce with the right skills, in the right locations, to meet future community needs and demand.”
Dr McMullen said the release last year of a DoHAC workforce study into general practice, which confirmed the results of an earlier AMA’s analysis showing that Australia faced significant GP workforce shortages, meant there was now a much more informed discussion about GP workforce numbers taking place.
“Our budget submission also acts on the advice of the department’s study, calling for an expansion of the John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program and the addition of 500 more training rotations, along with a phased progression of a further 500 funded Australian general practice training places,” she said.
