AHPRA’s Annual report shows progress in addressing workforce needs

Many aged care workers will receive an award wage increase from 1 January 2025. Find out if you’re eligible for a pay rise and access helpful tools on the Fair Work Ombudsman’s website. These award wage increases apply to assistants in nursing, personal care workers, home care workers, recreational activities officers (lifestyle workers), and ancillary staff on the Aged Care Award 2010 and the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS Award).

The initial stages of a new fast-track registration pathway for international doctors has been launched by the Medical Board of Australia. IMGs, SIMGs and medical recruiters - read our summary and keep updated on the Expedited Specialist Pathway and Accepted Qualifications List.

More doctors have joined the Australian health system in the last two years than at any other time in the past decade. The 2022-23 cohort of 8,356 new doctors was the largest influx of new doctors in more than a decade, and that record was beaten in 2023-24, when 9,490 new doctors registered to practise. The boom in new doctors has been driven by record numbers of internationally qualified doctors moving to Australia.

As of August 2024, most states saw health sector job vacancies decline compared to 2023. Vacancy rates were higher than the national average in TAS, ACT, NT, and QLD. TAS had the highest vacancy rate for medical practitioners, considerably higher than the national average, followed by NSW. Allied Health positions were in demand in NT, while SA had above average vacancies for Nursing and Midwifery professionals. Read more in our full report.