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In our recent submission to the open consultation on the draft outline of the National Allied Health Workforce Strategy, we highlighted the need for a focus on certain key areas, such as defining allied health, addressing funding and workforce shortages, and considering the inclusion of all allied health professions. The Strategy is high-level and does not go into the required depth of information. It lacks insight about how to better understand the allied health sector and focus on future workforce planning.
We recommended sound allied health representation on the steering committee. Currently, there is inadequate representation on the committee with an understanding of allied health beyond tertiary and acute care. A representative from the musculoskeletal allied health group, diet and nutrition, fall prevention and mental health professions is recommended.
In this submission, we focus on ensuring that allied health professionals, particularly osteopaths, are considered as part of the broader fall prevention team. This includes the suggestion to remove the reference to individual professions that may assist in fall prevention strategies and create an overarching inclusive statement involving all musculoskeletal allied health professionals.
Feedback provided to the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) on the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.