LNP drags feet on ‘sorely needed’ health workforce plan
The Crisafulli government has failed to release a plan showing how tens of thousands of healthcare workers will be delivered to the sector by the Olympics, with doctors warning new health infrastructure could be undermined by staff shortages.
Tuesday marked a year since the release of the Queensland Health Workforce Gap Analysis Report, which found 46,000 healthcare workers were needed by 2032.
Consultation with healthcare workers followed, and Health Minister Tim Nicholls said in February a comprehensive workforce action plan would be released this year.
Australian Medical Association Queensland president Associate Professor Erica Gannon said it was disappointing to reach the anniversary of the report without a plan.
“The workforce gap analysis was a positive first step in developing a sorely needed, systemwide workforce plan,” she said. “Sadly, Queenslanders have yet to see that plan.”
Gannon said the 2025 report showed Queensland faces a shortfall of up to 6000 doctors by 2032, and highlighted the loss of early and mid-career clinicians.
Without a plan to recruit and retain doctors, she said, remote and regional parts of the state would suffer.
“We know demand for health services is only going to increase given our growing and ageing population,” she said.
“We want to ensure the right training pathways, career opportunities and workplace culture exist for doctors to feel energised, motivated and valued.”
Former AMAQ president Dr Nick Yim said the government was investing billions into hospitals and large health infrastructure projects, but was at risk of understaffing them.
“These projects will not live up to their potential if we don’t have enough staff to actually deliver health care to Queenslanders,” Yim said.
The gap analysis showed 20 per cent of the state’s registered health workforce was at or approaching retirement age, including 18 per cent of nurses.
Nicholls distanced himself from any firm deadline on Tuesday, and dismissed suggestions a draft plan had been rejected by cabinet.
“I’m not going to go into all the details of cabinet, and I’m not going to speculate on the false rumours that [Opposition Leader] Steven Miles is spreading around the place,” he said.
“We’re working our way on that plan. As I say, we want to make sure that we get it right [and] we want to make sure that we understand what the pressures are in the system.
“When we’ve concluded all of that investigation, we’ll have a proper workforce plan that people can have faith in.”
Miles said recent reports outlining pressure on frontline workers and public hospitals underscored the need to firm up workforce plans.
“This government promised Queensland Health workers a workforce plan, and that’s what they should deliver,” Miles said.
“That was the commitment they made a year ago, and they should stop making excuses.
“There’s no reason why it should have taken this long and no reason why it shouldn’t be released.”
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