Labour Market Research – Health Professionals
Queensland June 2016
Labour Economics Office Queensland
Department of Employment Page 2
Occupations in cluster / Rating /234611 / Medical Laboratory Scientist* / No shortage
251211 / Medical Diagnostic Radiographer / Shortage
251212 / Medical Radiation Therapist* / No shortage
251214 / Sonographer / Shortage
251411 / Optometrist / Shortage
25151113 / Hospital/Retail Pharmacist / Regional shortage
252312 / Dentist* / No shortage
252411 / Occupational Therapist / No shortage
252511 / Physiotherapist / Regional shortage
2526-11 / Podiatrist* / No shortage
252711 / Audiologist* / Shortage
252712 / Speech Pathologist* / No shortage
* Occupation(s) assessed at the national level. Separate ratings are not available for Queensland and the specific survey findings for these occupations are not discussed within this cluster report.
Key results and issues
· The demand for health professionals is anticipated to increase due largely to ageing and population growth, technological advancements such as drug innovations and the growing public and private expenditure on health services.
· In 2015-16 health professional employers filled a lower proportion of vacancies from a smaller pool of applicants.
o The average number of suitable applicants and applicants per vacancy declined from last year’s survey.
Survey results
· In this year’s survey of employers who had recently advertised for health professionals, 66 per cent of positions were filled within six weeks of advertising, less than the 73 per cent fill rate of 2014-15.
· Vacancies for health professionals attracted 7.4 applicants per vacancy in 2015-16, down from 11.7 in 2014-15.
· The average number of suitable applicants per vacancy fell from 4.6 in 2014-15 to 1.9 in this year’s survey.
Figure 1: Proportion of vacancies filled (%), number of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy (no.), Health professions, Queensland, 2007-08 to 2015-16.
Source: Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised
· The fill rate for metropolitan vacancies in 2015-16 (72 per cent) was higher than that for regional vacancies (60 per cent).
· Of the health professionals surveyed at the State level, medical diagnostic radiographer and optometrist recorded decreased fill rates, with the former falling from 73 per cent to 18 per cent and the latter from 60 per cent to 18 per cent.
· The fill rate for sonographers increased in 2015-16 but was only 42 per cent.
Figure 2: Proportion of vacancies filled (%), number of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy (no.) Health professions, Queensland, 2015-16.
Source: Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised
· The average number of suitable applicants per vacancy differed considerably across all occupations in this year’s survey. Vacancies for medical diagnostic radiographer (0.6), sonographer (0.8) and optometrist (0.5) recorded the lowest ratios.
· A higher percentage of regional employers (50 per cent) reported that there were no suitable applicants for their sonographer vacancies than did metropolitan employers (33 per cent).
· In this year’s survey, 67 per cent of regional and metropolitan employers advised that no suitable optometrists had responded to their advertised position.
· Several employers cited that the shortage of qualified diagnostic radiographers has resulted in an increase in overtime and an increased use of locums and outsourcing. 50 per cent of the employers stated that they had no suitable applicants apply to their vacancy.
Reasons applicants were unsuitable
· Around 70 per cent of all qualified applicants were considered unsuitable by employers.
· Reasons employers found applicants unsuitable included:
o Applicants were not qualified.
o New graduates with minimal experience.
o Lack of relevant experience in specialist fields.
o Insufficient experience in particular settings (e.g. pharmacists with retail experience were often considered unsuitable for hospital positions).
o Failed to adequately address the selection criteria.
o Poor communication and interpersonal skills.
Demand and supply trends
· An ageing population, ongoing population growth, an increase in chronic disease, changes in public policy and technological advancements such as drug innovations all influence demand for these health professionals.
· As one indicator of demand, there were 10.7 million dental benefits, radiotherapy and therapeutic nuclear medicine, diagnostic imaging, optometry and other allied health services provided in Queensland in the financial year 2015-16, 6.4 per cent more than the previous financial year.[1]
· The Department of Employment’s Internet Vacancy Index data shows that job vacancies for this cluster of occupations increased over the year to June 2016, following a decrease in the previous 12 month period.[2]
· Formal entry to these professions varies. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists complete a four-year bachelor degree, although people with a relevant health science degree may complete a two year postgraduate qualification to graduate as a physiotherapist. Radiographers complete a four-year bachelor degree which incorporates a year of clinical practice. Sonographers must complete a postgraduate course incorporating clinical training practice after graduating from a three-year bachelor degree while pharmacists complete a four-year degree and an internship of 1824 hours. Optometrists must complete a Master of Optometry after completion of a 3 year bachelor degree.
· Of those occupations assessed at the State level, all bar sonographers must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). In addition, anyone who uses radiation equipment for diagnostic radiography must hold an appropriate licence issued by Queensland’s Radiation Health Unit.
· Registration data from AHPRA indicated that there has been an increase in the number of practitioners from all the health professional occupations surveyed at the State level. As at March 2016, there were 5294 pharmacists[3], 5299 physiotherapists[4], 3381 occupational therapists[5], 1021 optometrists[6] and 2919 medical diagnostic radiographers[7].
· As at June 2016, the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry reported Queensland had 1194 accredited medical sonographers, an increase of almost 5 per cent since March 2015.[8]
· The latest available data from the Department of Education shows that commencements in the relevant entry level courses for the occupations assessed at State level have increased over recent years.[9]
· Information provided by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection indicates that neither permanent nor temporary migration is a significant contributor to supply.[10]
Labour Economics Office Queensland
Department of Employment Page 2
[1] Department of Human Services, Medicare Australia Statistics, Medicare - by Broad Type of Service and various periods, http://medicarestatistics.humanservices.gov.au/statistics/mth_qtr_std_report.jsp, Appendix 1.1
[2] http://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/VacancyReport, IVI Detailed Occupation Data – March 2006 onwards.
[3] http://www.pharmacyboard.gov.au/About/Statistics.aspx, Registrant Data March 2016
[4] Physiotherapy Board of Australia, Physiotherapy Registrant Data: March 2016, http://www.physiotherapyboard.gov.au/About/Statistics.aspx
[5] Occupational Therapy Board of Australia Registrant Data March 2016, http://www.occupationaltherapyboard.gov.au/About/Statistics.aspx
[6] Optometry Board of Australia, Optometry Practitioners – Registration Data Table - March 2016, http://www.optometryboard.gov.au/About/Statistics.aspx
[7] Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia, Medical Radiation Practitioner Registration Data: March 2016, http://www.medicalradiationpracticeboard.gov.au/About/Statistics.aspx
[8] ASAR, Email, 09 June 2016.
[9] Department of Education and Training, Higher Education Student Data Collection, 2014, customised tables
[10] Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Subclass 457 Visa Grants Quarterly Pivot Table 31 March 2016, https://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/statistical-info/temp-entrants/subclass-457.htm