Health Workforce Planning

This report focuses on the Australian health workforce immigration has continually grown despite the fact that there are resident medical practitioners trained in Australia. It discusses the current policies put in place to govern this immigration, reasons for this development, and changes that should be made by the Australian government to reduce the adverse effects of the migration.

Running head: HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING 1
Health Workforce Training
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Contents
Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………..………..……3
Executive summary.……………………………………………….……………………..…..4
Introduction……………………………………………………………….……..………....….4
Data representation……………………………………………………………………….… .5
Policies on international worker immigration………………………………………………..6

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Development of policies…………………………………………………………................ .8
Sustainability of policies…………………………………………………………………….8
Policy changes that the government should consider implementing…………….... ………..9
Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………...10
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………. 10
References…………………………………………………………………………...………11
List of abbreviations
WHO: World Health Organization
WHA: World Health Assembly
IMG: International medical graduates

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Executive summary
This report focuses on the Australian health workforce immigration has continually
grown despite the fact that there are resident medical practitioners trained in Australia. This
report focuses on Australia’s reliance on international migration for the health workforce, the
current policies put in place to govern this immigration, reasons for this developments and
changes that should be made to by the Australian government to reduce the adverse effects of the
migration. “Working for health and Growth: investing in the health workforce,” it focuses on
transforming the health workforce for sustainable development goals and recommendations to
improve the future workforce plan (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 2012).
Introduction
Health workforce planning involves studying the lack of workforce planning results to
Imbalances that disable the achievement of objectives by the healthcare systems. Proper planning
should be done to achieve policies that are responsive to the needs and expectations of the state’s
population by making sure planners make effective and systematic methods of obtaining human
resource distribution. Planners should also focus on how these effective distribution systems will
be implemented without affecting the current workforce. A country’s workforce should

HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING 4
maximize their resident’s potential before outsourcing thus reducing the number of health care
immigrants. Resource. The planning process is complicated since it involves the future that's
filled with uncertainties therefore based on assumptions. Health care planners should ensure to
strike a balance between immigrants supply and the residents supply thus reducing the risk of
oversupply or deficiency.
A data representation of the medical practitioners and midwifery and nursing
professionals by country or region of birth, 2011
Country or region
of birth
Medical
practitioners
Percentage Midwifery and
nursing
professionals
Percentage
South Asia 8,155 11.7% 8,339 3.9%
Sub-Saharan Africa 3,211 4.6% 6,719 2.8%
Central Asia
120 0.2% 98 0.0%
South and Central
America and the
Caribbean
413 0.6% 1,266 0.5%
New Zealand 1,529 2.29% 7,335 3.1%

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North Africa and
Middle East
2655 3.8% 1,098 0.5%
North America 923 1.3% 1,491 0.6%
Northeast Asia 2,988 4.3% 6,534 2.8%
Southeast Asia 6,528 9.4% 13,291 5.6%
Western and
Southern Europe
1,593 2.3% 3,773 1.6%
Australia 32,919 47.3% 157,911 66.8%
Total with valid
data
69,666 99.2% 236,399 98.8%
Not stated or
inadequately
described
565 0.8% 2,895 1.2%
Total 70,231 239,234
According to his report, Australia’s level of reliance on health workforce immigration has
increased tremendously over the years. During the period between 2006 and August 2011, 12
696 doctors migrated across all immigration categories and by 2006, 45% of residents with
medical qualifications were from overseas. Immigration of health workforce helps Australia fill

HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING 6
up the human resources required in the urban regions since the resident workforce are committed
to the unpopular sectors or prefers to work in the rural parts following the incentive programs put
in place to achieve even distribution of health practitioners. The immigrant workforces are
attracted by the stable economy and the higher chances of getting the desired jobs.
Due to the aging Australian heath workforce, the county relies on immigration provide a
younger health workforce that balances the workforce supply in the country. The government has
sort to curb oversupply resulting from AMC examinations by incorporating penalties on the
medical migration applications. Active recruitment programs conducted overseas help deal with
the undersupply status. According to various reports the different routes of immigration
constitute of; family migration, permanent skilled migration (from 2005-2006 and 2009-2010,
8250 nurses, 2330 medic and 2080 pharmacists), Temporary labor migration (between 2005-
2006 34870 health practitioners got grants temporary visas) Student migration (those that move
to the country to study in the Australian institutions), Humanitarian migration, Trans-Tasman
migration, and child migration.
Policies on international health worker immigration
The government sort to establish various policies to govern immigration into Australia
and the policies were as follow:
Privatization of skilled migration (Hawthorne, 2012), by 2009, the temporary and permanent
workforce in Australia was sponsored medically to work in specified areas for four years period
or less. From 2010, the sponsored immigrant got assured of priority that was being ranked first
when employer-sponsored, second and third when sponsored by States, and fourth when
applying to migrate on the traditional points tested independent basis. The Australian
government required that the immigrants apply online then having to provide the expression of

HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING 7
interest that’s supported with the person's ability to speak English, personal information, skills
assessment by a recognized regulatory body and affirmation that field is on the Australia’s
skilled occupation list.
Australia’s classic migration paradigm marks the temporary rather than permanent
migration. Most health migrants hired temporarily From 2005–2006 to 2010–2011, 17 910 IMGs
supported on 457 visas, in contrast to 2790 selected in General Skilled Migration category.
Between 2005 -2006 and 2009-2010, 15960 nurse 660 dentists 420physiotherapists and 160
pharmacists were received. The Australian government has also sort to achieve self-sufficiency.
This policy however is complex and requires active involvement by the government to expand
the medical institutions and also increase the vacancies for resident interns in the medical
facilities. Self-sufficiency can be achieved if more students are encouraged to graduate and
pursue medical courses.
Development of innovative pathways to registration and practice Migrant is another
immigration policy. Doctors work under supervision if they accept area of need positions for a
period of up to 4years.after this period they can opt to apply for permanent residence status. This
practice, however, raises the risk of creating two-tier medical care. The Australian government
ensures an adequate supply through this by it also poses a threat. Debates on the conditional
registration that allow immigrants to operate on a supervised basis have emerged. Most require
occupational bridging that’s not easy to provide in rural areas.
Development of policies
The development of international health workforce immigration had to be put in place to
ensure that the immigrants don’t suppress the resident workforce (Health Workforce Australia.,
2012). The report showed that for the achievement of this, the government provides that

HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING 8
available vacancies are granted to interns of the state’s medical institutions. The government has
set up well-defined rule and restrictions that limit the number of immigrants that qualify to work
in Australia (Buchan, Naccarella, & Brooks, 2011). The criteria of selection involve age
consideration, education level, ability to speak the English language and they must reach the pass
mark provided to get a visa. Upon arrival in Australia, the immigrants work under detained
supervision to determine their credibility and performance. Detention terms aimed at
discouraging more immigrants from desiring to come into the country.
Sustainability of policies
Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of systems. The policies on international
health worker migration are sustainable, but it poses an increased burden to the educational and
medical sector, this includes expansion of educational facilities, allocation of more resources,
increased pay levels (for higher retention) and to encourage more students graduated in the
medical field to expand the labor workforce (Hawthorne., 2012). The policies should also be
linked to different government departments to reduce uncertainties involved with the
implementation of the plans. Amended worker retention, effective skills mix, and amplification
of home-based training also measure to increase the sustainability of the systems put in place
(World Health Organization., 2010).
Adverse effects of immigration have addressed since there has been an increased
domestic workforce supply by expanding the medical schools and setting up new institutions.
Immigration of health workers is affiliated to better pay and better working conditions that not
provided in their country of origin (Asante, Noggin, Hall, Dewdney, & Zwi, 2012). They also
seek safety for their families according to the report by the Australian government better
retention strategies, provision of good working conditions and arrangement of incentives help

HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING 9
retain the existing workforce. (Health Workforce Australia., 2012) the government has also set
up bridging programs to enable more students to get to the medical field.
Policy changes that the government should consider implementing
They are considering residents who have already acquired permanent citizenship to
increase the health workforce supply (AIHW annual labor force data sets, 2015). Compensating
the workers country of origin for the gap created; however, this is a complicated strategy that
varies according to the associated countries economy (Health Workforce Australia., 2012). The
government should consider Ethical migration policies which entail respecting the immigrants’
rights, treating them fairly and transparently in both the origin and host countries (Australian
Government Department of Health Website). Overseas employers can consider improving the
immigrant's experiences through orientation to enable them to identify the different behaviors
and code of practices between Australia and their home countries (Frank, 2011). The government
should consider adopting policies that enhance direct entry of the health care workforce that
helps meet the workforce demand.
Recommendations
The government should consider researching on: The growing health workforce into
Australia, implication of the English language assessment, analysis of nurse migration,
outcomes, and impacts of the immigration, bridging programs roles on employment access,
student recruitment and practice in Australia, medical registration pathways, policies that govern
the distribution and retention of immigrants, future workforce supply in immigrant source
countries, general workforce immigration and implications of health workforce immigrations to
both Australia and source countries. The government should consider supporting researches on

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the outlined areas since this will help build up better a policy formulation and balance the rate of
immigration and the resident health workforce in Australia.
Conclusion
In summation of the report it's evident that international health workforce immigration is
both advantageous (in that it helps fill up the vacancies in the rural areas and also provide
expertise in the various field) and disadvantageous (it poses a risk of oversupply) to the
Australian medical field. To strike a balance between domestic and immigrant supply policies
have to be put in place to govern the immigrants' entry. However, these policies have to be
sustained through support mechanisms that will enable the effectiveness of the strategies.
References

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AIHW annual labor force data sets by category from 2013 to 2015. Retrieved from:
http://www.aihw.gov.au/workforce/medical/additional/ (e.g. for medical data)
Asante, A. D., Negin, J., Hall, J., Dewdney, J., & Zwi, A. B. (2012). Analysis of policy
implications and challenges of the Cuban health assistance program related to human
resources for health in the Pacific. Human Resources for Health, 10(1), 10.
Australian Government Department of Health Website. Material on Health Workforce policies
and Programs. Retrieved from:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/portal-Health
%20workforce
http://data.hwa.gov.au/publication.html
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/australias-future-health-
workforce-reprts
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/Health+workforce-2
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/work-health-workforce-
program-review
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).Annual labor force report by category until
2012. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/workforce-publications/AIHW annual
Buchan, J. M., Naccarella, L., & Brooks, P. M. (2011). Is health workforce sustainability in
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152-155.
Crettenden, I. F., McCarty, M. V., Fenech, B. J., Heywood, T., Taitz, M. C., & Tudman, S.
(2014). How evidence-based workforce planning in Australia is informing policy

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development in the retention and distribution of the health workforce. Human Resources
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Fernandes, B., Cliff, E. R. S., & Chowdhury, A. (2018). Achieving self-sufficiency: training
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Frank I (2011). Presentation and comment provided at the Canada-Australia Round Table on
Mutual Qualifications Recognition, Canada Public Policy Forum, 12–15 April 2011,
Melbourne.
Hawthorne, L. (2012). International Medical Migration–What Is the Future for Australia?. MJA
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(2017). Improving workforce retention: Developing an integrated logic model to
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Short, S. D., Marcus, K., & Balasubramanian, M. (2016). Health Workforce Migration in the
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World Health Organization. (2010). Health of migrants: the way forward: report of a global
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Zhao, Y., Russell, D. J., Guthridge, S., Ramjan, M., Jones, M. P., Humphreys, J. S., ... &
Wakerman, J. (2017). Long-term trends in supply and sustainability of the health

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