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Articles on Health workforce

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Worrying about the number of medical intern places means we have lost sight of health priorities. Al Power

Should medical intern policy just be about numbers of places?

The issue of training places for new medical graduates was again in the news last week when Health Minister Tanya Plibersek announced A$8 million to expand medical intern places in rural private hospitals…
Our man from Boston: Don Berwick (left) has had some things to say about the NHS. Wikimedia Commons/HHSgov

Creating new criminal offences won’t help NHS patients

One of US President Barack Obama’s key health advisers has just published a review in the aftermath of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal. Don Berwick’s review is both thoughtful and reflective but…
Universities could be oversupplying graduates in a number of key health fields. Graduate image from www.shutterstock.com

Too many graduates, not enough jobs: universities, profits and clinical need

What if, after several years of studying in an intense degree program, you graduate only to find no jobs within your field? Since 2012, public universities have been allowed to determine the number of…
One-third of rural patients wait 24 hours or longer for an urgent GP appointment. Image from shutterstock.com

Country practice: recruiting doctors to work in the bush

If you live far from a city, you are likely to be in poorer health than your urban counterparts; you’re also less likely to use health-care services and if you do, you’ll have to wait longer for care…
The current fee-for-service model makes it difficult to contain costs and boost the quality of care. Image from shutterstock.com

Phase out GP consultation fees for a better Medicare

In the fourth part of our series Health Rationing, Peter Sivey explains why it might be time to abandon Medicare’s fee-for-service model. Teachers aren’t paid a fee for each lesson they teach, nor are…
The recent rise in the number of GPs could be welcomed as addressing the shortage. Image from shutterstock.com

Is the national doctor shortage a myth?

Monash University demographer Bob Birrell is quoted in today’s Australian newspaper as saying the national doctor shortage is “a myth”. He points out a large recent increase in the number of GPs, a rise…
The children with the greatest level of disease also have the poorest access to care. Image from shutterstock.com

Filling the gaps in Australia’s dental workforce

Data released recently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show the number of dentists has increased by 24% in the five years to 2011. There are now around 12,700 dentists in Australia, with…
Taxpayers should get something in return for their investment – good doctors, where they’re needed. UoNottingham

Medical intern crisis won’t be solved with just more hospital places

Almost two hundred medical students from diverse countries have just finished their medical education as full-fee-paying students. They’re now looking for the one year of employment (internship) they need…
It’s time to rethink Australia’s specialist-driven health workforce and rise to the challenge of chronic disease management. Hands image from shutterstock.com

Hike in health costs should prompt workforce rethink

Data released recently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows the nation’s health care bill is rising rapidly, from $77.5 billion in 2000-2001 to $130 billion in 2010-11. The largest increases…
Doctors are expected to be attuned to the latest developments in health care. www.shutterstock.com

Man v mountain: how to overcome the evidence overload

Most doctors shudder at the sight of the growing mountain of unread medical journals gathering dust on their desks over months, if not years. They need not despair though, as there are less time-consuming…
We need to rethink how we provide health services in rural areas. Alan Levine

Health care in rural areas: the answer is not more of the same

The recent report of the Senate Inquiry into rural health services gave tantalising glimpses of how the future of rural health services should be. But its central theme is not new. The persistent and consistent…
Relying on FIFO health-care workers is expensive and can end up disempowering local providers. AIA web team

Fly-in, fly-out heath care fails remote Aboriginal communities

This is a story about two small Aboriginal communities in the Gulf region of North Queensland: Mornington Island and Doomadgee. They share two key characteristics with many other remote communities: very…
Health-care workers who discover they are infected have an ethical obligation to seek professional advice about their work practise limitations. stevendepolo

Privacy vs safety: should doctors disclose their infectious diseases?

A drug-addicted Melbourne anaesthetist has been accused of infecting 56 of his patients with hepatitis C by injecting himself with opiate-filled syringes, before using them on his patients. While his gross…

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