07 May 2008

$5 million campaign to boost NSW health workforce

NSW Minister for Health Reba Meagher today announced a $5 million recruitment campaign to boost the health workforce across NSW.

Ms Meagher said the campaign would focus on attracting emergency medicine specialists from across Australia and overseas to work in NSW public hospitals.

"One of the biggest challenges facing Governments of all jurisdictions in the delivery of high quality healthcare is the chronic medical workforce shortage - the legacy of a decade of neglect by the Howard Government," Ms Meagher said.

"Despite these shortages, the Iemma Government in NSW has worked hard to attract and retain a sustainable health workforce. Since June 2001 we have increased the medical workforce by 30 per cent, increased the number of nurses working in our hospitals by 24 per cent and the number of allied health staff by almost 25 per cent.

"The recruitment campaign announced today is the latest in our range of ongoing strategies to boost the health workforce right across NSW."

Ms Meagher said the recruitment campaign includes $2 million for the Country Careers Initiative to support rural Area Health Services to attract and relocate staff to rural areas.

"A good experience in relocating and settling into a new community is one of the key factors in retaining health professionals in rural and regional communities and health professionals tell us that this can be extremely challenging, particularly if their family is also making the move to a new community," Ms Meagher said.

"That's why this program provides dedicated Project Officers to help health professionals relocate and settle in country areas."

An extra $2 million has been allocated for the expansion of this program in metropolitan areas.

The recruitment campaign will also include:

• High-impact workforce advertising in the NSW and national media
• Conference and career expo sponsorship
• Materials that promote the profile of NSW as a health employer of choice
• Recruitment resource kits for health services to use locally

Ms Meagher said already this year an additional 17 emergency physicians had been recruited as a result of the $30 million emergency department package announced last November.

New doctors have been recruited to emergency departments at:

• Orange
• John Hunter
• Gosford
• Concord
• Royal Prince Alfred
• Liverpool
• Nepean
• Blacktown/Mt Druitt

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au