The healthcare shortage in Australia and what you can do about it
Healthcare is one of Australia’s fastest-growing – and essential – industries. The sector now employs more than 1.5 million people. That’s roughly one in every eight Australian workers!
So why this rapid growth?
Well, there are several reasons. They include increased prosperity and government investment. However, probably the leading driver of this growth is an ageing population. As people live longer, they require more care over a longer period. That’s just science. And the government predicts that by 2050 some 3.5 million Australians will require aged care.
This growth in the healthcare sector does mean that more people are joining the health workforce to meet the country’s needs. However, it doesn’t mean the picture of healthcare employment is all rosy.
Unfortunately, there’s a problem. And it’s to do with distribution.
A regional shortage
A Department of Employment report published in 2017 broke down the occupations that have shortages of suitably skilled workers. Plus, it looked at the types of locations where that shortfall in workers is most acute.
One of the key takeaways was how regional areas are particularly lacking in qualified healthcare workers. That’s despite the growing need for them across the whole country. The report highlighted four key professions that were lacking workers in regional locations.
The large proportion of the healthcare industry covered by these professions suggests that there is some kind of shortage across much of the sector in regional areas, even beyond these highlighted jobs.
If something isn’t done to address this shortage, there could well be a crisis in regional healthcare.
And no one wants that.
Incentives
Fortunately, the government is trying to remedy this situation. It recognises that attracting workers to regional areas is key to meeting the healthcare needs of regional communities. They want to ensure that talent is not too concentrated in the major metropolitan areas.
That’s why there’s an obvious difference when you look at the Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program.
This government program can give jobseekers financial assistance when they relocate to take up a professional position (if they move more than 90 minutes away from their current home).
Payments can be up to:
- $3000 if relocating to a capital city
- $6000 if relocating to a regional area.
Can you see what they did there?
An education that meets the country’s needs
There is more good news. The shortage of healthcare workers in regional areas means qualified professionals can carve out distinctive and rewarding careers. They have more choices about the roles they take on, and greater scope for securing good pay and conditions.
Put simply, the regions are where it’s at.
Charles Sturt University is proud to be playing a part in addressing the shortages. Our graduates – more than 28,000 of them so far! – are prepared to hit the ground running with hands-on learning experiences in world-class facilities and workplace experience in regional organisations.
Dr Heather Robinson, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy at Charles Sturt University, explains how our approach works for pharmacy students.
“As a pharmacy student, you’ll be based at Orange, New South Wales. You’ll experience life in a flourishing regional town alongside dentistry, physiotherapy and clinical science students.
“The university is committed to contributing to the communities where we are located. So the pharmacy program has a focus on regional health and rural health practice, including the opportunity to participate in rural professional placement.
“Many of our pharmacy students find casual work in pharmacies in Orange, Bathurst and nearby small towns during their degree. What’s more, they often stay on after graduation as interns and, later, as registered pharmacists and pharmacy owners in the area.”
Small is beautiful
Another benefit of learning at a regional university is a closer sense of community. Your lecturers know your name, so you get more personalised learning.
Of course, no one wants an education that limits their options when it comes to starting or progressing their career. So a healthcare qualification from Charles Sturt University will give you unique insights and understanding about the particular issues and requirements of devising and delivering healthcare services to rural and regional communities. However, it also gives you the skills and knowledge to work in any location. You could work anywhere from the sweeping plains of the outback to the heart of the city. It will also set you up to work in a wide range of healthcare settings, including:
- hospitals
- health centres
- outreach services
- laboratories
- private organisations.
For Heather Robinson, the shortage of healthcare professionals in regional areas, combined with the way Australia’s population is ageing, means opportunities.
“Rural practice offers some unique and varied practice and lifestyle options in an environment of real need.”
This means that people with the right knowledge, skills and qualifications can play a significant role in ensuring the future wellbeing of our communities. And enjoy an amazing career while they do so.
So, do you want to make a difference?
We’re ready when you are. Our health courses are designed so you can have an impact in any community – in the bush and beyond. And if you live in the regions and want to give back, you’re in good hands – 55 per cent of our health grads come from regional, rural and remote areas, and many are now working in their local communities.
You’ve can choose from a huge range of courses.
- Allied health and pharmacy. From working on the frontline as a paramedic to increasing patients’ quality of life as an exercise or rehabilitation specialist ‒ help people at any stage of their recovery.
- Medical science and dentistry. Discover, detect and diagnose – whether in oral health, pathology or medical radiation science.
- Medicine. Discover our Doctor of Medicine, a Joint Program in Medicine with Western Sydney University, which has special entry for rural and regional applicants.
- Nursing, midwifery and Indigenous health. From delivering babies in the outback to walking the wards of a regional hospital, advance your career where people need you most.
Contact our friendly team if you’d like a chat about your study options.
