Allied Health
Upcoming Events
The Department of Human Services is undertaking a study into the workforces involved in the delivery of radiation oncology, medical imaging and nuclear medicine services. This project will focus on the medical physicist, medical radiation technologist, and medical specialist workforces. The attached information newsletter provides more detail about the study.
Facilitated focus groups will be held at the end of September in 3 different regions of Victoria.
Numbers are limited and we invite your interest in attending the focus groups. We will review attendance of the focus groups to ensure the mix of attendees covers rural, regional, metropolitan, public and private health services and that all professions are represented. Confirmation letters will be sent to all attendees.
If you would like to register your interest to participate in one of the focus groups please read the attached newsletter for more information and confirm your preferred location and subgroup.
Medical Radiation Workforce Newsletter and Focus Group Information
About Allied Health
Allied health is used as the collective term for a wide range of tertiary qualified health professionals, other than medical and nursing, including but not limited to:
- Art Therapists
- Audiologists
- Chiropractors
- Clinical Psychologists
- Dentists
- Dieticians/Nutritionists
- Health Information Managers
- Medical Scientists
- Medical Imaging Technologists/Radiographers
- Medical Physicists
- Music Therapists
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists
- Occupational Therapists
- Optometrists
- Orthoptists
- Orthotists/Prosthetists
- Osteopaths
- Pharmacists (Community)
- Pharmacists (Hospitals)
- Pharmacists (Pharmacy Guild)
- Physiotherapists
- Podiatrists
- Radiation Therapists
- Social Workers
- Sonographers
- Speech Pathologists
The Department is working with professional associations, Victorian Allied Health Leaders Council, registration boards, employers, universities, training institutions and special interest groups to understand and address workforce issues affecting these health professions.
Allied health recruitment and retention initiatives
A number of rural allied health recruitment and retention initiatives have been funded across Victoria during the past three years:
- MentoringWorks
- Rural optometry locum
- Associate professor (ASPRO) academic positions
- Continuing Professional Development Program for Rural Allied Health Professionals
- Rural Health Scholarships Scheme
- Rural Hospital pharmacy locum project
- Region of Choice
- State-wide Allied Health Workforce Education Program
- The Department acknowledges the need for more systematic information and has undertaken a major data collection project to build information on each profession.
Summary of allied health recruitment and retention initiatives 2009-10
In 2008-09 the Department appointed Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) to conduct an independent evaluation of three of its funded rural allied health workforce recruitment and retention projects: Region of Choice, MentoringWorks and the Statewide Allied Health Workforce Education Program. The aims of the evaluation were to obtain an independent assessment of the outcomes of each of the three programs, to determine the effectiveness of the way in which the programs work together, and to identify options for future delivery. A copy of the final report is now available and the Department has commenced work to implement the evaluation recommendations.
Evaluation of Victorian Allied Health Workforce Recruitment and Retention Projects
The Victorian Government provides support to health professional students who intend to practice after graduation in rural and regional Victoria. The Rural Health Scholarship Foundation manages scholarship programs for both undergraduate and postgraduate allied health students who can demonstrate a commitment to rural careers. Further information is available on the Victorian Heathcare Association Ltd. website - Rural Scholarships page.
