Measuring for a healthy nation
Building the evidence base for national health
workforce reform
NatStats 2010
Mark Cormack
Chief Executive Officer
Health Workforce Australia
17 September 2010
National health workforce reform agenda
 COAG and health workforce reform ( National
Partnership Agreement 2008)
 Acknowledgment that large scale workforce reform is
necessary with a particular focus on linking efforts of
health and higher education sectors
 NPA, $1.1Bn new funding over 4 years to
• Develop a sound evidence base to inform national reform
• Devise policy and program solutions that facilitate training and
workforce reform
• Work across jurisdictions, sectors, organisations and professions
 Health Workforce Australia (HWA) established to lead
implementation of the NPA
Health Workforce Australia
 Legislation enacted July 2009
 HWA established as a Commonwealth statutory authority
 Board – nominees from jurisdictions (nine), independent
Chair and three other directors
 Reports to Australian Health Ministers Conference (AHMC)
 Headquarters in Adelaide
 Establishment phase
Core functions of HWA
 Progress the NPA agenda focussed on five key areas
• Research and workforce planning
• Clinical education and training
• Clinical training subsidies
• Clinical supervision
• Simulated Learning
• Governance and co-ordination
• Innovation and reform
• International recruitment
• Advice to AHMC, industry & higher education
National health workforce reform agenda
 Building the evidence base
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Planning to date less than optimal
Key data sets (e.g. vacancies / shortage) - inconsistent, out
of date and incomplete
Workforce interventions are complex, have long lead
times, and expensive.
Inadequate evidence base to inform policy, investment
decisions and interventions.
HWA - planning and research
 $24M allocated over four years to HWA to lead,
encourage and support a health workforce research,
planning and policy agenda
 Continually improve national health workforce information
• National health workforce statistical dataset
 National workforce projections and research
• National supply and demand model
– macro and by specialty
• Workforce demand and workload measures
 National health workforce research collaboration
HWA - planning and research
 National Health Workforce Data Set (NHWDS)
 Nationally agreed data set collected from National
Registration and Accreditation Scheme from July 2010
 Longitudinal data set on ten nationally regulated professions
 Future additions to the national registration arrangements,
and via alternative means for the non regulated professions
HWA - planning and research
 National Health Workforce Planning Tool
 Complete picture of the health workforce and the drivers
behind both workforce supply and demand
 Links workforce data from the NHWDS with national activity
(demand) data sets
 Data will be linked at the unit record level so
de-identified individuals can be tracked over time
 Freely available for use by health industry and higher
education sectors
HWA - planning and research
 Interim work program (2010-11) whilst the longer term
planning and research program is developed
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Macro Supply and Demand
Postgraduate Medical Training Study
National Workforce Study of the NGO Mental Health Sector
Alternative Options for Workforce Planning
Workload Measure for Allied Health Professionals
Supply and Demand Projections for
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Nursing Professionals (Acute Sector)
Nursing Professionals (Aged Care Sector)
Anaesthetic Medical Workforce
Emergency Medical Specialist Workforce
Intensive Care Medical Workforce
HWA - planning and research
 Macro Supply & Demand Study 2009 & 2010
 First Study 2009, and repeat in 2010
 30 Health professions in scope
 Stock and flow model,
• Baseline workforce and shortages
• Entrants – training, immigration
• Exits – retirements, departures
• Demand drivers
• Projections to 2025
 Refine, evaluate and continually improve over time to be an
authoritative, reliable information base for decision makers
• Training requirements
• Immigration
• Workforce reform
Opportunities and priorities
 Refinement of health demand measures
 National health identifiers
 Providers – individual &organisation
 National health reforms
 Activity based funding
 E-health
 National health professional registration
 Targeted workforce reform which links quality national
information on
 Burden of disease
 Uniquely identifiable health professionals
 Measurable health service delivery requirements
Conclusion
 An unprecedented opportunity to accurately record,
track and monitor Australia’s health workforce
 Supply and demand can be more accurately planned
 Policy and decision making will be better informed by
evidence
 Debates will be over policy, program and other
interventions rather than data and methodologies
 National workforce reform initiatives can be better
targeted to support and enable broader health system
reforms.
www.hwa.gov.au