Health workforce focus good – but show us your policy

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Health workforce focus good – but show us your policy
The Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) has welcomed Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese's
focus on the health workforce, but has pressed him to release the policy detailing how he will achieve his
aims.

APHA CEO Michael Roff said the healthcare workforce shortage was the 'single biggest issue facing
healthcare in Australia' and just suggesting people will migrate to help prop up the system is naïve.

"Australia needs a skilled migration program that encourages people to come here and make a life here,
not just send them home as soon as their visa expires. The healthcare workforce skills shortage is an
international issue and if Australia wants overseas nurses to prop up the system, we need to make it worth
their while to come.

"A recent article said the Victorian Government pursued a goal of 1000 immigrant nurses but only got 100,
despite offering financial incentives – that's what we are up against."
Numbers from an internal survey of Australian private hospitals suggest the current workforce shortage is
around 5,500 nurses. The sector urgently needs at least 1,000 skilled migrant nurses, and that is just for
private hospitals.

Mr Roff said APHA supports a model that reinstates a pathway to permanent residency to create an added
incentive to move to Australia and ensure investments in this workforce by employers and governments
are not lost to this country.

"Past reforms to migration policy have reduced the scope for retaining skilled migrants beyond the initial
visa period. However, last year the federal Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Migration tabled a
report into Skilled Migration that recommended several changes that would open up pathways to
permanent residency for a range of visa holders.

"These recommendations have not been adopted and we are calling on the incoming Government to do so
as a matter of urgency," he said.

-ENDSMedia contact: Frith Rayner, Director Communications and Marketing, 0413 971 999

Level 3 /11 National Circ, Barton ACT 2600. PO Box 4502, Kingston ACT 2604. [T] 02 6273 9000 [F] 02 6273 7000
[E] [W] www.apha.org.au [FB] ValuingPrivateHospitals [Twitter] @priv8hospitals
ABN 82 008 623 809

Next Media Centre:
5/5/2022 Health insurance industry body "sky is falling" approach ignores the facts

Previous Media Centre:
5/4/2022 Celebrating clinical excellence and innovation in Australia's private hospitals