COAG agrees to major health workforce reforms

The Communique from today's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting includes a commitment to improve structures "supporting health workforce reform". The following extract refers:

"COAG noted the importance of ensuring that health education and training is better aligned with workforce needs. To assist with this, the Commonwealth and the States and Territories signed a Memorandum of Understanding for better consultation on health‑related university places. COAG agreed that the responsibilities of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) would be expanded to include annual agreement on national workforce priorities and advice on education and training that addresses current and emerging national skills shortages. COAG also agreed to establish a taskforce on the national health workforce, reporting to the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference through the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council, to undertake project-based work and advise on workforce innovation and reform."

In a section addressing a wish to facilitate workforce responsiveness and mobility, the following extracts are significant as they commit all Governments to establish single national registration and accreditation systms by July 2008:

"In order to facilitate workforce mobility, improve safety and quality, and reduce red tape, COAG has agreed to establish by July 2008 a single national registration scheme for health professionals, beginning with the nine professions currently registered in all jurisdictions. COAG has agreed to undertake consultation with stakeholders on its preferred model of a national cross-professional registration body which would also involve health professions participating in the scheme’s governance through profession-specific panels and committees. COAG noted that this is the first tranche of national registration and that other professional groups (including Aboriginal Health Workers) may be added over time."

"COAG further agreed to establish by July 2008 a single national accreditation scheme for health education and training, in order to simplify and improve the consistency of current arrangements. COAG has agreed to undertake consultation with stakeholders on its preferred model for the scheme which would ensure that accreditation activities retain and draw on essential health profession‑specific expertise."

"Both the national registration scheme and national accreditation scheme would be self-funding, with establishment costs jointly funded by the Commonwealth and the States and Territories."

The ADA Inc. immediately issued a Media Release in response to the announcements.

Other Links

COAG Response to the Productivity Commission Report on Australia's Health Workforce

Health Workforce - National Professional Registration

Health Workforce - National Accreditation

Human Capital Indicative Outcomes and Associated Progress Measures

COAG Decisions on reducing the Regulatory Burden