Planning for the future

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Planning for the future
The national health workforce reform agenda
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A case for change

• Demand for the health workforce is likely to
  continue increasing
• Competing demands for health workforce labour -
  nationally and internationally
• The type and skills required of the health
  workforce are and will continue to change
• Roles and tasks remain in silos and have been in
  place for many decades
• Health service and clinical management approaches
  have not always adapted to changing demand
• Current workforce development and training models
  are constrained and are unlikely to meet future
  challenges
• Shared Commonwealth-State responsibilities in
  health and education
• Education and training and service delivery have
  been inextricably intertwined

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A case for change (2)

• It is clear that a multi-dimensional and
  coordinated approach to address health workforce
  shortages is needed one that not only focuses
  on strategies to manage/reduce demand and
  increase supply, but also considers the actual
  structure, composition and training of the
  workforce itself

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Changing nature and characterisation of the
health workforce

• General health workforce characteristics have
  changed over the last 10 years
• Increasing feminisation
• Ageing
• Reducing working hours
• Increasing part-time options
• Corporatisation of workforce

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Changing nature and characterisation of the
health workforce
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Supply of health workforce is under pressure
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Drivers influencing health workforce shortages
Demand drivers

Australian health workforce shortages
Supply drivers
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An emerging consensus

• National consensus view developed on the critical
  impact workforce has on the health system
• Boosting supply is critical but will not by
  itself meet growing health service delivery
  needs
• A clear understanding that more of the same will
  not solve the problem?
• 2006 Productivity Commission - 21 reform
  recommendations
• Focused on significant structural reform of
  governance, education and training and funding
  structures
• Emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches
• COAG negotiations and reform packages in 2006,
  2007 and 2008

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Health Workforce Australia (HWA)A national
response

• COAG and health workforce reform 2008
• Acknowledgment that large reform is necessary
  with a particular focus on bridging health and
  education
• Health Workforce Australia is that national
  response
• Backed by an injection of 1.55B over 4 years
• NHWT work program imbedded in HWA
• Established with a three pronged and intersecting
  agenda
• Innovation and reform
• Research and workforce planning
• Education and training

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The emerging approach

• The NHWT, followed later this year by HWA is
  already progressing the national agenda
• Legislation passed June 2009
• HWAs governance is expected to be operational
  from December 2009
• Headquartered in Adelaide with support from the
  SA Government

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HWA role and governance arrangements

• HWA Governance
• Board - jurisdictions, independent Chair and 3
  other members
• Standing stakeholder advisory committees and
  expert working groups

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Agenda 1Supporting innovation and reform

• COAG allocated over 70M over four years to
• Promote better utilisation and adaptability of
  the workforce
• Explore new and emerging roles to respond to
  changing demands
• How?
• Promote national uptake of innovative reforms
• Test health workforce reform models
• Phase 1 aged care
• Phase 2 rural and remote
• Phase 3 primary care
• Development of tools, guidelines and a national
  evaluation framework
• Research local, national and international
  innovation initiatives for whole of system uptake

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Agenda 2Researching and building the evidence
base

• COAG allocated over 24M over four years to
  support health workforce research, planning and
  policy development
• How?
• Improve national health workforce information
• National workforce data, data standards,
  frameworks and process
• National health workforce statistical dataset
• National clinical placement data and management
  system
• National workforce projections and research
• National supply and demand model
• Supply and demand projections global and by
  specialty
• Workforce demand and supply workload measures
• National health workforce research collaboration

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Agenda 3Reforming education and training

• COAG allocated over 1.2 billion over four years
  to
• Maximise the capacity of the health and education
  systems to provide sufficient trained graduates
  to meet demand
• Ensure education and training is appropriate and
  responsive to changing health system needs and
  supports innovation and reform
• How?
• Funding, and planning clinical training to
  provide effective, streamlined, integrated
  placements embracing new and non traditional
  settings
• Training and supporting clinical supervisors
• Funding training infrastructure/simulated
  learning environments
• Development of a national health leadership
  strategy

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Implementation and communication

• In all work NHWT and HWA will communicate with
  stakeholders through
• Stakeholder advisory committees and expert
  working groups
• Consultation during projects
• Discussion papers, reference groups, forums
• Regular updates - website www.nhwt.gov.au and
  electronic newsletters
• Engagement with the higher education, not for
  profit, private and non acute sectors paramount
• Clinician input to policy development and
  stakeholder engagement is critical

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Planning for the future
The national health workforce reform agenda