Australia needs 20,000 health professionals

12 February 2016 by News Desk   |   SHARE  

Australia seeks to recruit around 20,000 extra doctors and medical health professionals over the next three years in a bid to meet a continuing skills shortage.

Australia: Job vacancies are forecast to increase by over 20 per cent – more than double the national average. Many hundreds of doctors and health professionals are needed.

You may be considering a temporary career change in Australia, or may wish to live and work Down Under permanently. There are a wide range of opportunities available for doctors.

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If you apply now for the August intake you could be living, working or training in Australia in six months.

Many vacancies exist within private clinics and healthcare providers. This offers potential to earn a higher salary.

“There are many options open to you. If you are prepared to be flexible Australia can be yours,” says Darrell Todd, CEO of thinkingaustralia.

Future Job Security: Employment of health professionals is forecast to grow by 20.6 per cent over the next 5 years, according to official figures.

No occupation is expected to suffer a fall in employment. Health professionals are among the Top Ten strongest-growing occupational group.

In coming years demand for Occupational therapists will be most in-demand with job growth of 36.6 per cent while demand for pharmacists is forecast to grow by 16 per cent.

Continuing demand for doctors is driven in part by a shortage of highly qualified graduates. Latest figures show the number of new Bachelor degree graduates across all health professions has fallen by 11.8 per cent to 78.5 per cent.

This has created a shortage in the fields of:

Speech pathology
Optometry
Physiotherapy
Occupational therapy
Medical science

Employers in regional areas experience greater difficulty filling vacancies than in metropolitan areas. In the past 12 months around 30 per cent of vacancies have remained un-filled in big cities. In rural areas this rises to 40 per cent.

Greatest demand for doctors is in Tasmania, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. Employers seeking sonographers, optometrists and audiologists experience the greatest difficulty filling vacancies.

Vacancies exit in the following health professions:
Audiologist
Dentist
Hospital/retail pharmacist
Medical diagnostic radiographer
Medical laboratory scientist
Medical radiation therapist
Occupational therapist
Optometrist
Podiatrist
Physiotherapist
Sonographer
Speech pathologist

Vacancies also exit for the following occupations:
Enrolled nurse
Midwife
Nursing clinical director
Registered nurse