The Australian Labor Market for Medical Practitioners and Nurses: Training, Migration and Policy Issues

Abstract

Australia has a long history of migration of medical practitioners and nurses. This paper will provide an overview of the current situation regarding the supply of and demand for doctors and nurses and Australia's immigration policies and regulatory framework. Trends in training numbers and the relationship to demand will be analyzed and it will be shown that a continuation of widespread shortages can be expected. In recent years, Australia has been the forerunner, among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, in its overt policy initiatives to attract overseas-trained doctors. It has shown little concern for the negative consequences on some sending countries that lose their doctors and nurses. Also, it has not entered into the spirit of international attempts to try to ameliorate the potential effects of developing-to-developed country health professional migration and trade, where there are negative consequences for the sending country. It will be argued that Australia could become a better global "citizen."