Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 9:23:00 to 9:26:12
Debate over the reliance on overseas-trained doctors versus increasing domestic medical school graduations and training capacity within the education system.
Topics: Health, Education, Employment
Speakers: Senator Jess Walsh, Speaker 39, Ms. Madonna Morton, Speaker 33, Mr. Tony Cook, Senator Marielle Smith
you didn't answer my question, so I'll go on to the next one. In 2023 24, ARPA finalized 5,717 applications from overseas trained doctors to work in Australia. In the same year, the health department reports that only 3,110 doctors graduated from Australian medical schools. Why is Australia training fewer doctors than it brings in from overseas by a long, long when the need for doctors here is so high? Why why do we bring them in and
>> Uh Senator, I think that's probably um a question for our colleagues at the Department of Health, Disability, and Aging. Um I the Department of Education doesn't have responsibility for the uh accredititation requirements or the particular mandatory professional skilling requirements that are set um by um uh health authorities. So we might need to take that on notice and we may need to refer that to the the department of disability sorry health disability and and aging.
>> Thank you minister. I I've uh been treated by Chinese doctors, Indian doctors, African doctors, Middle Eastern doctors and I'm happy to go back to them. I've got no problem with that. But but why that's correct but why are we not why are we not educating more doctors here in Australia?
>> Uh thanks Senator. So in relation to paid P and medical students, um the evidence was given that um medical students do tend to um be able to complete their mandatory placements. Uh and so the government has extended the scheme um to those areas that meet the criteria that the officials have talk talked about in terms of targeted um support to deal with um placement poverty. The officials have um just given evidence in relation to um planning around um the medical workforce um being um a matter for a different um portfolio. >> Is that correct?
>> Mr. I'll actually bring someone to the table about medical places senator to help you because we actually do. So
>> Oh, sorry.
>> We won't. Yeah, just additional medical places just very quickly in about 30
>> No, no, we're suspending in in a in a few. So, you can come back after the dinner break if you need. >> It might provide
>> good to finish if we
>> I can be very quick. It might just be worth mentioning the um building the GP workforce primary care measure which uh through the 2526 budget, the government announced 100 new medical CSPs a year from 2026, increasing to 150 CSPs from 2028 with a focus on primary care. Stream A was last year um uh which had uh as I said 100 new places. Stream B was announced uh earlier this year. Um so there has been um an increase in medical CSPs in recent years.
>> Okay. I've got two two questions left.