EvolveHealth Health Workforce Optimisation

Globally, healthcare systems are struggling. Rising costs, increasing demand, more expensive technologies, and the growing burden of chronic conditions are straining services and systems. These demands are compounded by critical staff shortages across all healthcare professions including doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.

In Australia’s health and medical professions, scopes of practice are diverse and progressive, but they are not used effectively. Allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, dieticians and speech pathologists, and enabling professions such as nurses, dental therapists and pharmacists, are healthcare resources that are often under-utilised and could help deliver improved access to healthcare, new models of care and better health outcomes.

The EvolveHealth Program shifts attention in policy and practice away from the traditional roles of professions and the characterisation of healthcare as doctor-led. Instead, it emphasises person-centred care and identifies the skills required to address consumer needs and preferences, informed by a holistic understanding of sector capabilities.

It aims to redefine the future of work in the Australian healthcare sector for improved healthcare access, equity and outcomes. It will accelerate resilience, agility, and capability in the healthcare workforce by enhancing deployment models with a focus on auxiliary health roles as system connectors.

It will provide research to support the National Primary Health Strategy’s objectives for sustainable public health workforce capacity. It also aligns with the objectives of Queensland’s Advancing Health Service Through Workforce strategy, which supports a shift to person-centred healthcare systems that are responsive to consumer needs and sensitive to the role of emerging technologies and changing models of care.