Report: Federal Budget 2024-25 summary
The summary of the 2024-25 budget outlines impacts to allied health and osteopathy across the health, aged care and disability sectors.
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The Australian Government Department of Finance released the final report on the review of health practitioner regulatory settings. The final report makes 28 recommendations to streamline regulatory settings and make for an easier transition for international health practitioners to work in Australia.
The core aim of the report will be to create speedier and less costly opportunities for overseas-trained osteopaths to enter Australia without it costing several thousands of dollars and being a time-consuming process.
You can access the report here: https://www.regulatoryreform.gov.au/.../health... and a summary is as follows:
Recommendation 1: Streamline, remove duplication and align standards, evidentiary requirements and policy settings across agencies and regulators involved in the end-to-end journey, so applicants only need to provide information and meet requirements once, moving to a single portal over time.
Recommendation 3: Remove or suspend the requirement for employers to advertise for domestic applicants in acknowledged areas of shortage before recruiting overseas.
Recommendation 4: Broaden the age exemption on skilled visas to enable skilled practitioners in acknowledged areas of shortage to permanently move to Australia.
Recommendation 9: Introduce or expand expedited pathways to registration for all professions in acknowledged areas of shortage. Eligibility for expedited pathways should be regularly considered and part of a rolling work program reported to health ministers.
Recommendation 10: Ensure registration assessment for all registered professions explicitly recognises skills and experience in addition to qualifications and training pathways, with conditions on registration used as a temporary risk mitigation strategy where appropriate.
Recommendation 18: Support better planning for Australia’s future workforce needs, including developing national workforce strategies for maternity and allied health, and finalising the nursing strategy already in development. National workforce modelling should be reviewed and updated at least every 5 years and strategies every 10 years.
Recommendation 20: Develop performance indicators of progress in the recruitment of more overseas health practitioners in acknowledged areas of shortage, while workforce strategies are developed.
Recommendation 21: Provide applicants with greater flexibility in demonstrating their English language competency.
The summary of the 2024-25 budget outlines impacts to allied health and osteopathy across the health, aged care and disability sectors.
The team recently attended the 15th National Allied Health Conference (NAHC) in Perth, WA on behalf of members. Please read the wrap up report.
Osteopathy Australia's submission to the TGA on proposed refinements to the regulation of personalised medical devices focused on plagiocephaly helmets and foot orthoses.