Executive summary
The National Health Innovation and Reform Strategic Framework for Action 2011-2012 is the first strategic reform framework for the workforce in Australia, which aims at linking education and health sectors. Workforce reforms are critical because the Australian population is growing rapidly and lifespan is increasing fast (Health Workforce Australia, 2011; Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). Planning and mobilization of the workforce is a significant factor that determines the performance of healthcare systems, especially in the presence of economic constraints. In this view, the five domains of the workforce strategic framework provide a solution to numerous challenges that healthcare sector is facing in its workforce.
Health Workforce Australia has mainly focused on the third domain, which deals with enhancing leadership capacity for reforms and innovation. The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging has mainly focused on development of policies and regulations according to the fifth domain by aiming to advance quality of healthcare services and improve the lives of the aged (Department of Premier and Cabinet, 2008). The States and Territory Health Authorities focused on the recommendations of the fourth domain. Based on the findings, healthcare institutions should implement all recommendations outlined in the five domains of the National Health Innovation and Reform Strategic Framework for Action 2011-2012.
Introduction
Purpose of the Report
The purpose of this report is to analyze the progress made by healthcare institutions towards the implementation of the five domains outlined in the National Health Innovation and Reform Strategic Framework for Action 2011-2012. Health Workforce Australia has outlined five domains, viz. “Health workforce reform for more effective, efficient, and accessible service delivery, health workforce capacity and skills development, leadership for the sustainability of the health system, health workforce planning, and health workforce policy, funding, and regulation” (2011, p.15). Therefore, this report seeks to establish the extent to which Health Workforce Australia, the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and States, and Territory Health Authorities have implemented the different levels of the five domains.
Background Information
Australian workforce has been growing gradually in the past ten years; unfortunately, this growth has not kept pace with the increasing needs of the population. According to Daly (2011), Australian workforce is about 360,400 people, and projection shows that by the year 2018, the population of the workforce will be about 409,300. The figures suggest that Australian workforce is growing slowly. Moreover, since employment is slow, most of the healthcare workforce belongs to generation X and baby boomers (Brooks, Lapsley, & Butt, 2003). Therefore, demographics indicate that the population of the younger workforce is not proportional to the older workforce. In this view, variations in the expectations of workforce having different ages coupled with expanding population size affect the delivery of healthcare services. Increasing demand for healthcare services compels healthcare workers to devote extra hours of their time. Hence, strategic reforms are necessary for planning and mobilization of the workforce to enhance sustainability of the healthcare system.
The objective of the workforce reforms is to enhance sustainability of the workforce by designing healthcare services to meet the diverse and increasing needs of the Australian community. According to the Department of Health (2010), workforce planning streamlines delivery of health care services at local, regional, and national levels thus promoting the quality of services at a reduced cost. Countries with effective planning of the workforce have effective healthcare systems, which promote the quality of healthcare services that people receive. Harris (2006) asserts that, workforce management is a crucial responsibility of healthcare managers. Healthcare managers should have relevant skills and knowledge to supervise the healthcare workforce effectively and efficiently.
Scope and Focus of the Report
The Australian healthcare system requires critical workforce reforms that aim at ameliorating the effectiveness of service delivery as well as enhancing quality service delivery. According to the report by the National Health Workforce Taskforce (2009), increasing disease burden, population aging, growth of population, and increased focus on prevention strategies are factors that have led to increased demands of healthcare services in Australia. Hence, the healthcare workforce labors to meet the diverse needs of the population. Joyce, McNeil, and Stoelwinder (2004) recommend workforce planning as one of the strategies of satisfying increased demands of the population. To enhance sustainability of healthcare services, the National Health Innovation and Reform Strategic Framework for Action 2011-2012 outlines domains that healthcare institutions should consider in reforming their workforce. Hence, there is a need to examine and assess the extent to which healthcare institutions in Australia have complied with the five domains of the workforce strategic framework.
Structure of the Report
The report analyses the extent to which various healthcare institutions have complied with the five domains of the National Health Innovation and Reform Strategic Framework for Action 2011-2012. To determine compliance, the report analyses institutions such as the Health Workforce Australia, the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, and States and Territory Health Authorities. Eventually, the report will provide the findings and give invaluable recommendations to healthcare system.
Research Method
The research will collect secondary data at respective healthcare institutions regarding compliance with the five domains of the workforce strategic framework. To obtain reliable information, the study will examine strategies that the healthcare institutions have put in place, as a means of complying with the domains of the strategic workforce framework. Hence, the study will examine and analyze strategic plans regarding workforce of the three healthcare institutions selected. As aforementioned, the selected healthcare institutions are Health Workforce Australia, the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, and States and Territory Health Authorities.
Findings
Health Workforce Australia
Health Workforce Australia has made significant progress in the implementation of the workforce strategic framework. The outstanding progress made so far is the formulation of Australia’s Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform Strategy (2012- 2015), which has similar domains as the National Health Innovation and Reform Strategic Framework for Action 2011-2012 (Miller, 2011). The workforce strategy will ensure that local areas attain workforce reforms at par with the national level in all aspects of the five domains. Specifically, the Health Workforce has dealt with domain one and domain five. In the first domain, the Health Workforce Australia focused on improving accessibility, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare programs. In the fifth domain, Health Workforce Australia developed and formulated policies necessary for workforce reforms. Formulation and implementation of policies demand good governance and leadership (Dieleman, Shaw, & Zwanikken, 2011). Hence, good governance that Health Workforce Australia exhibits has proved its dedication in the implementation of all the five domains.
Health Workforce Australia has mainly focused on the third domain, which deals with enhancing leadership capacity for reforms and innovation. Through this domain, Health Workforce Australia has collaborated with other stakeholders in healthcare (HWA Aged Care Workforce Reform Project, 2011). The collaboration ensures that all stakeholders contribute to the realization of workforce reforms in healthcare. According to Segal and Bolton (2009), collaboration in workforce reforms promotes multidisciplinary approach to policy formulation implementation of strategies. Thus, building of leadership capacity is central because it catalyzes innovations and reforms in the healthcare system.
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging
The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging has complied with numerous recommendations in the workforce strategic framework. In accordance with the first domain, the department has formed a program called “Aged Care Access Initiative” (Department of Health and Aging, 2009). The objective of this program is to improve accessibility to healthcare services by the aged in the Australian community. The department also offers another program called, “The Australian General Practice Training Program” (General Practice Education and Training, 2012). The program complies with the second domain of the workforce strategic framework. It equips healthcare workforce with the necessary knowledge and skills to encourage competence in service delivery. Moreover, the department plays a crucial role in development of leadership capacity that encourages innovation and workforce reforms in line with the third domain. Through its leadership, the department has developed innovative strategies that have improved outcomes of the aged in the healthcare system.
The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging has focused on the development of policies and regulations, which aim at improving the quality of healthcare services and lives of the aged, according to the fifth domain. The sector of policy and governance division in the department has formed a board of review, which is going to develop policies and regulations to guide medical research (Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research, 2011). Thus, the department has achieved a lot in the fifth domain of the workforce strategic framework.
States and Territory Health Authorities
The States and Territory Health Authorities have not made any significant implementation of the five domains of the workforce strategic framework. The Department of Health (2012) indicates that, the State and Territory Health Authorities are focusing on streamlining health care systems among states and territories. Streamlining healthcare systems would enhance accessibility, effectiveness, and efficiency of delivering healthcare services to the people (Grindle, 2007). Streamlining enables the States and Territory Health Authorities to comply with the first domain of workforce strategic framework. Moreover, the States and Territory Health Authorities’ management is in the process of complying with the fourth domain, because the body is trying to formulate programs that will enhance workforce planning.
The States and Territory Health Authorities have focused on the recommendations of the fourth domain. Given that states and territories have different healthcare demands, policies, and programs, the health authorities help in harmonizing the different needs (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2012). Interactions of states and territories have a significant impact on the harmonization of policies, programs, and strategies. Since states and territories share common problems in the workforce, implementation of the fourth domain will help them collaborate in finding solutions. Approaching health problems from different points of view is more effective because it encourages cooperation among all stakeholders (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, & Coulter, 2006). Therefore, collaboration and cooperation among territories and states are crucial in the implementation of the fourth domain.
Conclusion
The healthcare sector is facing an imminent challenge in the management of its workforce due to the increasing demand for healthcare services by the population. Aging population, new technologies, the emergence of diseases, and growth of the population are some of the challenges facing this crucial sector. Therefore, the Australian authorities have come up with the National Health Innovation and Reform Strategic Framework for Action 2011-2012, which aims at improving the planning of the workforce to meet the increasing demands of healthcare services. Therefore, this study proposes that healthcare institutions should implement all the five domains of the workforce strategic framework to overcome the highlighted challenges.
References
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