Operating Without a Plan
A decade without medical workforce planning in SA
There has been a systematic failure to conduct medical workforce planning for doctors in the South Australian public hospital system for more than a decade.
Inadequate workforce planning has serious and lasting consequences for patients, workers, and productivity. Understaffing causes stress and burnout for doctors and leads to long wait times and delayed procedures for patients which – in turn – leads to increased costs and reduced productivity.
Without adequate planning, mismatches between the workforce supply and the sector demand is not just likely, it is certain.
Our report outlines three key recommendations for implementing workforce planning for doctors at a state and federal level:
- Implement medical workforce planning in SA
- Improve data and implement regular reviews
- Accelerate the re-establishment of a federal medical workforce planning agency
November 2024
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