Consultations close: TBA
The Australian Government announced the Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce (Scope of Practice Review) in the 2023-24 Federal Budget as part of its response to the Strengthening Medicare Reform Taskforce.
One of the Priority recommendations from the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report was that the Australian Government work together with states and territories to explore the barriers and opportunities for all health practitioners to work to their full scope of practice.
The first round of consultation occurred from September to October 2023.
The Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of practice review has now released Issues Paper 2, which moves from identifying and clarifying problems and issues to proposing 8 policy reform options across 3 key themes (workforce design; development and planning; legislation and regulation; funding and payment policy) for further consideration and development through consultation.
- Option 1: National skills and capability framework and matrix
- Option 2: Develop primary health care capability
- Option 3: Early career and ongoing professional development includes multi-professional learning and practice
- Option 4: Risk-based approach to regulating scope of practice to complement protection of title approach
- Option 5: Independent, evidence-based assessment of innovation and change in health workforce models
- Option 6: Harmonised drugs and poisons regulation to support a dynamic health system
- Option 7: Funding and payment models to incentivise multidisciplinary care teams to work to full scope of practice
- Option 8: Direct referral pathways supported by technology
The release of this paper signals the start of the third round of consultation. The consultation asks stakeholders to consider in detail the reform options and assess their potential to meet the needs of the communities of Australia. The Review team will consider this feedback before refining and finalising the reform options into a Final Report and recommendations.
Professor Mark Cormack has been leading this independent review which focusses on:
- general practitioners
- nurses (registered and enrolled), nurse practitioners
- pharmacists
- midwives
- allied health practitioners
- First Nations health practitioners and workers
- paramedics.
If you would like to contribute feedback to inform the RACGP’s submission, please provide your comments via email to the Health Reform team by 10am AEST 6 May 2024.
If you would prefer to provide your individual feedback directly, please monitor the Government’s Scope of Practice Review webpage as the consultation hub should be available soon.
Consultation opened: 16 April 2024 6pm
Consultation closes: TBA – date not published yet