Australia: the healthiest country by 2020
National Preventative Health Strategy – the roadmap for action

8.6 - Workforce development

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Workforce shortage has been a long-standing issue across the health sector, particularly in regard to areas relevant to prevention such as chronic disease attributed to obesity, tobacco and alcohol.

A National Health Workforce Strategic Framework was adopted by AHMC in 2004 to guide national health workforce policy and planning and Australia’s investment in its health workforce. However, the principles and strategies outlined in the framework did not make specific reference to the important role that prevention plays in the health outcomes of Australians or the workforce required to deliver these services.

As the burden of chronic disease attributable to factors such as obesity, tobacco and alcohol has increased, recognition has grown of the important role prevention plays as part of a comprehensive approach to healthcare. In order for prevention to achieve this potential, a national preventative health workforce that has the competence and capacity to meet the chronic disease and other healthcare needs of all Australians is vital. The development of a national preventative health workforce for Australia will require time, investment and infrastructure.

A national agency for the Australian health workforce

The announcement of a new national agency by COAG, Health Workforce Australia, to manage and oversee major reforms to the Australian health workforce is a key element of infrastructure and is supported by the Taskforce. Health Workforce Australia will be fundamental to the future development and support of a national preventative health workforce.

Putting prevention on the workforce agenda

Workforce shortages across the health sector mean competing demand for resources. It is essential that the important contribution prevention and the preventative health workforce can make both within and outside the health sector is recognised and identified as a priority area. The NPA must take national leadership on this issue and work in partnership with Health Workforce Australia to ensure this is achieved.
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Building competence and capacity

A national preventative health workforce must have both the competence and the capacity to provide the services required. To date, there has not been a national audit or review of the preventative health workforce in terms of a range of factors including but not limited to:

• Identification – who constitutes the preventative health workforce (clinical and non-clinical) and where they are currently located
• Supply needs – on the basis of community health status
• Core competencies – what knowledge and skills are required to effectively meet these needs
• Education, training and accreditation processes – from initial qualification and registration through to postgraduate training and ongoing professional development and vocational training
• Models and scope of practice – what currently exists and are there opportunities for innovation and expansion
• Support mechanisms – what is required to enable the preventative health workforce to effectively and efficiently perform their role

The national audit of the prevention workforce outlined in the 2008–09 COAG Agreement on Preventive Health will provide an initial foundation on which to develop immediate, mid and long-term strategies and policy actions. The Taskforce strongly supports the audit and encourages the government to further build upon this initial investment to ensure that the mid to long-term strategies can be implemented to achieve a competent national preventative health workforce with the capacity to meet the healthcare needs of all Australians.

Some specific areas of need are in prevention research and education (see the section on national prevention research infrastructure above), and in the skilling up of the preventative health workforce who understand inequity and the social and economic determinants of health.

Partnerships in preventative health

The workforce outside the health sector also has a significant influence on preventative health, particularly in regard to obesity, tobacco and alcohol. These include but are not limited to: education; local government; social and community services; sport and recreation; justice and policing; urban planning, transport and infrastructure; and agriculture.
Engaging with these sectors via collaborative partnerships and programs will also contribute to improved health outcomes through prevention.

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