Australia's Health Workforce

Contents

Preliminaries
Cover, Copyright, Foreword, Terms of reference, Foreword, Contents, Abbreviations, Key points, Overview, Recommendations

1   About the study
1.1   Scope and focus of the study
1.2   The Commission’s approach

2   Context for policy development
2.1   Key workforce trends
2.2   Current workforce issues
2.3   Emerging challenges
2.4   What inhibits workforce change?

3   Objectives and strategies
3.1   Objectives for an efficient and effective workforce
3.2   Strategies for achieving improved health workforce outcomes

4   Workforce innovation
4.1   The institutional and regulatory framework affecting workforce deployment
4.2   Recent developments in Australia and overseas
4.3   An active approach to workforce innovation
4.4   Establishing a health workforce improvement agency

5   Health workforce education and training
5.1   Objectives of education and training
5.2   How does the current system work?
5.3   How well is the system performing?
5.4   How could the system be improved?

6   Accreditation
6.1   Existing accreditation arrangements
6.2   Issues and proposals
6.3   The case for a single national accreditation regime
6.4   Implementing a national accreditation board
6.5   Assessment of overseas trained professionals

7   Registration
7.1   Current roles of registration boards
7.2   Issues and proposals
7.3   Adoption of national registration standards
7.4   The case for a single consolidated national registration board
7.5   Implementation of a single board
7.6   Extension of registration

8   Payment mechanisms for health care services
8.1   A pervasive influence on the health workforce
8.2   The MBS and the health workforce
8.3   What are the key workforce-related concerns?
8.4   What should be done to address these problems?

9   Workforce planning — projecting future workforce needs
9.1   The role of workforce planning
9.2   Methodological issues
9.3   Data and research issues
9.4   Institutional arrangements

10   Rural and remote issues
10.1   Features of health care provision in rural and remote Australia
10.2   Underlying causes of workforce maldistribution
10.3   The context for future policy
10.4   What further changes are required?

11   Addressing special needs
11.1   General approach
11.2   Indigenous health workforce issues
11.3   Other key special needs areas

12   After hours GP services and other matters
12.1   After hours GP services
12.2   E-Health
12.3   The influence of policies in other areas

13   Our proposals in practice
13.1   Processes influencing workforce deployment
13.2   How the proposals would work
13.3   The benefits would be considerable
13.4   Facilitating the reform process
13.5   Facilitating effective evaluation

A   Inquiry processes and consultation

B   An overview of the current health workforce

C   Measuring health sector productivity

References