A profile of the Tasmanian allied health and oral health workforce

Workforce data collection for the allied health workforce has historically been considered too methodologically difficult to obtain. Discussions about data collection at a federal level focus on the registered professions. However, many of the allied health professions essential to the management of chronic and complex conditions and funded under Australian Government programs such as Medicare and More Allied Health Services are not part of the registered professions. Focusing on the registered professions and failing to collect workforce information on the non-registered and self regulating allied health professions will continue with the current gaps in data collection. This will have serious implications for health workforce and health service planning for the future.

The survey instrument used in the Tasmanian allied health and oral health workforce study provides a detailed allied health workforce dataset that is not available through any other source. These data provides essential information about the Tasmanian allied health and oral health workforce demographics, work practices and training needs. It provides evidence to inform effective strategies for recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in Tasmania and other rural areas of Australia.

Whilst the survey does not enable a head count of the professions that are included in the study to be undertaken it does give a very rich profile of how the professions are working. Information relating to access to CPD and student clinical supervision will enable the training needs and future workforce requirements to be informed by evidence. Longitudinal studies to track the changes in the workforce can easily be undertaken by repeating the survey at regular intervals. National profiling, as well as the ability to compare results across jurisdictions and regions, would be helpful to state and national workforce planning.

Download a copy of the final report.