A new journal article co authored by former UCRH Director Professor Ross Bailie sheds light on rural health research by showing where health workers are most needed across regional and remote Australia.
The study looked at where doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals were working between 2013 and 2021, using local government area data from across the country. It also examined how long health workers tend to stay in different places, from major cities to very remote communities.
The results show a clear pattern. Rural and remote areas consistently have fewer health workers than cities, and workforce growth has been slower in these areas over time. This was especially true for doctors and allied health professionals in outer regional, remote and very remote locations.
How long people stay in their roles also varies. Allied health professionals tended to stay longer in major cities than in regional areas. Doctors stayed in their roles for longer in states like New South Wales and Queensland, while nurses and midwives had the shortest retention times overall, staying less than three years on average regardless of location.
One of the most striking findings was how much workforce numbers can differ between neighbouring local government areas. In some cases, two areas side by side showed very different trends, highlighting the importance of local solutions rather than one size fits all approaches.
The authors say this kind of detailed data can help governments and organisations design better policies and programs to support the health workforce where it is needed most. The paper supports UCRH’s ongoing work to improve access to healthcare and strengthen the health workforce in regional and remote communities.
