❓ The Minister for Health provides an update on the health workforce summit, highlighting government initiatives to address workforce shortages, including increased funding, support for graduates, and reforms to improve working conditions.
AnsweredQoN 806Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH WORKFORCE SUMMIT
806. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's ongoing commitment to sustainably
grow Western Australia's health sector workforce amid global
challenges.
(1) Can the minister provide an update to the house on
outcomes from the minister's recent ministerial medical , nursing
and midwifery workforce summit?
(2) Can the minister advise the house what subsequent
discussions are being held to address specific workforce areas of need?
806. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's ongoing commitment to sustainably
grow Western Australia's health sector workforce amid global
challenges.
(1) Can the minister provide an update to the house on
outcomes from the minister's recent ministerial medical , nursing
and midwifery workforce summit?
(2) Can the minister advise the house what subsequent
discussions are being held to address specific workforce areas of need?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Riverton for his question. As he well knows, the health
workforce landscape— the employment,
registration and regulatory landscape—is incredibly complex. There are
levers that the state holds, there are levers that the federal
government holds, and then there are those held by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and other registration
and medical colleges. It is complex . That
is why we convened the summit on the back of the work that is being done by the
federal government . I congratulate the federal government for that and
Robyn Kruk for leading the review on the national regulatory landscape for
healthcare workers and how we can improve the situation in the face of those workforce challenges. To support that work,
every state and territory will have to step up where they can and relieve those pressures and barriers to
support an increase in healthcare workers. The reality is that there is
a global workforce shortage everywhere, and we simply will not have enough
workers to meet the growing healthcare needs of Western Australians.
Since coming into government in 2017,
the McGowan and Cook Labor governments have grown the healthcare budget in public health by 30 per cent. Public health
spending has grown by 30 per cent and, with that, the healthcare
workforce has grown by 30 per cent. That has been by international recruitment
and supporting local graduates into the
public system. We are paying the higher education contribution scheme fees for 350 nurses and midwives who choose the incredibly rewarding work in
rural Western Australia. We are extending
that support to a further 400 nursing and midwifery graduates entering our
public system. We have fast-tracked a second wage rise, as well as a $3 000
cost-of-living payment, for all nurses and midwives, despite not having an agreement with the Australian Nursing
Federation. We are bolstering our graduate intake by 400 places and
providing them the supports they need.
We are also introducing historic
nurse-to-patient ratio reform across the public health system, and it has already started at the Perth Children's
Hospital emergency department. We are delivering a paid midwifery training model trial. The rural psychiatry training pathway in Western Australia
is the first ever in the world, and it will deliver about 60 consultant
psychiatrists by the end of that training program. We can currently count on
one hand those consultant psychiatrists who work in rural Western Australia. We
are seriously bolstering that workforce. We are delivering permanency for Western
Australian doctors and reviewing the length of contracts for doctors in
training to align with their college requirements. We are looking at career
pathways for allied healthcare workers, and we are supporting our healthcare
workers to work in the way that they want to, to the scope that they are
trained for and registered for with AHPRA because we know that they are the
backbone of the system.
In August this year, I convened the
summit to look at practical ways that we can expand our workforce and untap
some of that scope. We looked at how doctors are working and how our health
professionals and nurses are working. We can have flexible rosters and better
recruitment processes. Access to leave is often challenging, particularly for
junior doctors. We are engaging with them in a constructive way to make sure
that they have a long and happy career in the public health system. We are also
holding a range of very specific round tables in areas of child and
adolescence, allied health and, in particular, doctors in training so that we
can keep those doctors in the public health system and give them all the
opportunities and expansion of learning that they need to be the best that they
can be.
thank the member for Riverton for his question. As he well knows, the health
workforce landscape— the employment,
registration and regulatory landscape—is incredibly complex. There are
levers that the state holds, there are levers that the federal
government holds, and then there are those held by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and other registration
and medical colleges. It is complex . That
is why we convened the summit on the back of the work that is being done by the
federal government . I congratulate the federal government for that and
Robyn Kruk for leading the review on the national regulatory landscape for
healthcare workers and how we can improve the situation in the face of those workforce challenges. To support that work,
every state and territory will have to step up where they can and relieve those pressures and barriers to
support an increase in healthcare workers. The reality is that there is
a global workforce shortage everywhere, and we simply will not have enough
workers to meet the growing healthcare needs of Western Australians.
Since coming into government in 2017,
the McGowan and Cook Labor governments have grown the healthcare budget in public health by 30 per cent. Public health
spending has grown by 30 per cent and, with that, the healthcare
workforce has grown by 30 per cent. That has been by international recruitment
and supporting local graduates into the
public system. We are paying the higher education contribution scheme fees for 350 nurses and midwives who choose the incredibly rewarding work in
rural Western Australia. We are extending
that support to a further 400 nursing and midwifery graduates entering our
public system. We have fast-tracked a second wage rise, as well as a $3 000
cost-of-living payment, for all nurses and midwives, despite not having an agreement with the Australian Nursing
Federation. We are bolstering our graduate intake by 400 places and
providing them the supports they need.
We are also introducing historic
nurse-to-patient ratio reform across the public health system, and it has already started at the Perth Children's
Hospital emergency department. We are delivering a paid midwifery training model trial. The rural psychiatry training pathway in Western Australia
is the first ever in the world, and it will deliver about 60 consultant
psychiatrists by the end of that training program. We can currently count on
one hand those consultant psychiatrists who work in rural Western Australia. We
are seriously bolstering that workforce. We are delivering permanency for Western
Australian doctors and reviewing the length of contracts for doctors in
training to align with their college requirements. We are looking at career
pathways for allied healthcare workers, and we are supporting our healthcare
workers to work in the way that they want to, to the scope that they are
trained for and registered for with AHPRA because we know that they are the
backbone of the system.
In August this year, I convened the
summit to look at practical ways that we can expand our workforce and untap
some of that scope. We looked at how doctors are working and how our health
professionals and nurses are working. We can have flexible rosters and better
recruitment processes. Access to leave is often challenging, particularly for
junior doctors. We are engaging with them in a constructive way to make sure
that they have a long and happy career in the public health system. We are also
holding a range of very specific round tables in areas of child and
adolescence, allied health and, in particular, doctors in training so that we
can keep those doctors in the public health system and give them all the
opportunities and expansion of learning that they need to be the best that they
can be.
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