Australian health professionals are being prevented from maximising their benefit to communities because of a lack of a consistent national approach to healthcare.
An independent review commissioned by Federal Government found the vast majority of the nation’s health professions faced restrictions and barriers in working to their fullest, that were unrelated to their skills, training and experience.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the review found that inconsistencies across states and territories made it harder for patients to receive the care they needed and for health practitioners to move to where they were needed.
Minister Butler said healthcare activity that one state enabled and supported, another state may block or restrict.
He said the review found that removing these barriers would make it easier for Australians to receive high quality care, when and where they needed 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’.”
Minister Butler said fewer barriers would mean health teams worked better together across disciplines and health professionals would have greater job satisfaction, making it more likely they would stay in the workforce for longer.
He said the review was headed by Professor Mark Cormack and encompassed the health professions that worked 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.”
Minister Butler said the review made 18 recommendations across a number of reform areas, including workforce design, development, education and planning; legislation and regulation; and funding and payment policy.
Access the full review: Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce.
