Health workforce education training a statewide perspective Judith

Health workforce education & training – a statewide perspective Judith Abbott Manager, Workforce Strategy & Regulation 5 February 2007 Department of Human Services

Overview • Workforce challenges: – State wide issues and responses to date – National reforms • Clinical placements: challenges and opportunities • Clinical placements agency: what might it do, what are the issues? • Next steps

Workforce challenges • Insufficient Victorian undergraduate training numbers • Workforce maldistribution • Changing service models & patient expectations • Education & service delivery intertwined • Long lead times for change • Complex mix of state & federal responsibilities for health & education

Victorian response • Substantially increase supply • Progress strategies to improve distribution & retention • Examine alternative training & workforce models • Address barriers to innovation • Integrated approach required, recognising that activity in one area will impact on potential outcomes in another

National reforms • Supply growth from 2007 • Improved national linkages between health & education – National agreement on annual planning health education numbers through MCEETYA • Clinical training costs – Productivity Commission & COAG – DEST review of undergraduate funding • National health workforce taskforce • National accreditation & registration

Clinical Placements: drivers for reform? • Growth in training numbers • Changing service & workforce models • Concerns regarding efficacy of existing models • Reported difficulties sourcing sufficient placements in some disciplines &/or settings • High level of interest in area, lots of activity, need to be strategic with investment of time & resources

Clinical placements strategy • Increase undergraduate clinical training capacity • Promote more strategic, state wide approaches to planning & management • Promote innovative training models • Emphasis on cross disciplinary approaches

Innovation • Pilot projects • Establish/expand training in non-acute settings • Clinical skills centres • Progress competency-based approaches • Registration & accreditation reforms

Funding • DEST review • Cost sharing arrangements • Review of acute funding model for medical & nursing undergraduate training

Planning & evidence • Establish statewide planning processes • Establish regular, consistent clinical placement data collections • Support & disseminate research • Update & refine additional supply requirements

Capacity building • Template agreement (includes cost sharing) • Pilot clinical placements agency concept • Develop IT systems for statewide application that links into broader planning & allocation processes

Why consider a clinical placement agency ? • Current arrangements: – Resource intensive, potential duplication of effort – Profession specific, limit potential for interdisciplinary approaches – Do not ensure available capacity is used optimally – Restrict capacity for more strategic approach to planning & accommodating future needs

What might it achieve? • Promote local innovation &/or local roll out of successful innovation piloted elsewhere • Facilitate access to ‘new’ placement settings • Promote more effective, team based approaches • Minimise administrative burden on health services & training providers • Improve data collection & planning

Issues & challenges • How to accommodate multiple: – disciplines? – training providers? – services? • Existing relationships • Funding

Next steps • • Agency Clinical placements strategy IT system National reforms Clinical placement innovation projects Forums? For more information: www. health. vic. gov. au/workforce