This report recommends reforms to streamline regulatory settings to make it simpler, quicker and cheaper for international health practitioners to work in Australia. These reforms will drive productivity dividends for migrants, employers and communities, while maintaining health care quality and safety. 

Key findings:

The review found that there are significant shortages in nursing, midwifery and medicine, particularly for experienced and senior professionals. The review confirms there is an urgent need to reform the current regulatory system for overseas health practitioners coming to Australia to make it simpler, faster, fairer and less costly.

While Australian governments are committed to growing the domestic workforce, more internationally qualified health practitioners will be required in the short to medium term.

The final report identifies immediate actions that governments and regulators can take to alleviate shortages in the health workforce and ensure all Australians can access timely and appropriate health care. These actions focus on improving the applicant experience, expanding fast-track pathways, collecting better workforce data, increasing regulatory flexibility, and enhancing regulator performance and regulatory system stewardship.  

The recommendations in the Final Report aim to increase the number of health practitioners registered in Australia while ensuring that these practitioners continue to meet Australia’s stringent safety standards. The reforms are expected to save overseas health practitioners,  employers  and the community time and money and bring Australia’s regulatory system into line with comparable jurisdictions like Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.