News
Building Australia’s Health Workforce |
| Spokesperson: | Minister for Education, Science and Training – Hon Julie Bishop |
| Date: | Monday, 10 April 2006 |
| Category: | Community Health |
| The delivery of increased mental health services, announced this week by the Prime Minister, will be supported by a $250 million fund for an additional 400 new medical places and 1000 new nursing places. “I welcome the increase of greatly needed places in health, particularly the announcement of 400 new medical places,” the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop MP, said today. “Together with the announcement of 420 mental health nursing places and 200 clinical psychology places in Australia’s universities, there will be a substantial increase in Australia’s investment in medical workforce training. “This investment will be boosted further by increasing the Australian Government's contribution to the cost of clinical training for nurses from $688 to $1,000 for each equivalent full-time nursing unit of study. “I also welcome the addition of more than 2,000 new health related university places to build Australia’s health workforce. Universities will be invited this month to bid for the nursing, including mental health nursing, and clinical psychology places, in addition to the 2,800 growth places which will be available for 2007,” Minister Bishop added. In addition to universities, private higher education providers will be able to bid for the nursing places. “I will be writing to universities and private providers within weeks to invite their bids on the more than 4,400 new higher education places available in 2007,” Minister Bishop said. “Of the additional 400 new medical places, at least 160 will be allocated to Victoria, enabling Monash University to establish a branch of its existing medical school in Gippsland in 2008, and establishment of a new medical school at Deakin University,” Minister Bishop said. “Deakin’s new medical school will serve the needs of Western Victoria, as well as provide opportunities for students from rural and regional areas to study medicine in their own region. It will commence in 2008.” The remaining 240 medical school places will be allocated nationally, including in Victoria. |
|