GPs welcome new incentives for advanced skills in rural areas

The Commonwealth Government is developing a National Nursing Workforce Strategy which aims to address workforce challenges and support the nursing profession in Australia. In late 2023 they consulted with many nurses and providers to identify issues facing the nursing workforce. The Australian College of Nursing published its response, providing recommendations to improve nursing conditions, workforce retention, and service delivery in Aged Care and rural and remote health.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s ‘Workforce Capability Project’ publishes a range of reports and workforce insights, helping to educate the sector and improve workforce planning. Their Career Paths Report, and key findings from their biannual workforce survey, are available to view by non-members and would appeal to job seekers considering a career in Pharmacy, those wanting to further progress their pharmacy careers in Australia, or healthcare employers who employ pharmacy staff.

This article looks at the growing trend of registered Nurses and Midwives shifting to agency work over permanent roles. It highlights the benefits of agency work for individual workers while noting negative consequences such as pay disparity between employees and the reduced ability of organisations to compete for workers.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ News GP runs a weekly poll to gauge GP perspectives on various topics of interest. In this article, we provide a summary of poll results for last year - exploring what mattered to general practice in 2023, and the challenges that are set to continue in 2024 and beyond.