Vacancy rates for frontline health staff down on 2023 levels

• The vacancy rate for nurses and midwives in Queensland Health has fallen to 1.1% in June 2024.
• Vacancy rates for doctors in Queensland Health has dropped to 2.3% in June 2024, down from 2.8% in December 2023.
• Staff turnover rates for nurses and midwives dropped slightly between 2022-23 and 2023-24 and rose slightly for doctors over the same period.

Vacancy rates for frontline medical staff in Queensland Health have fallen over the past year.

Current vacancies for nurses and midwives in Queensland Health are running at just 1.1%, down from 1.4% in May 2023.

Vacancy rates for doctors dropped to 2.3% in June 2024 down from 2.5% in May 2023 after having peaked at 2.8%at the end of last year.

Low vacancy rates indicate Queensland Health is attracting a broad range of qualified candidates to fill critical roles.

Since September 2020, Queensland Health have hired over 11,180 frontline staff including 1,888 doctors, 6,180 nurses and midwives, 2,337 allied health professionals and 775 ambulance operatives.

To help manage the state’s growing healthcare needs, the 2024-25 State Budget allocated more than $1 billion extra for frontline workforce growth.

This equates to an additional 700 doctors, 2,600 nurses and midwives, and 1,000 allied health staff across budgets.

The Health Workforce Strategy aims to expand the entire workforce by 45,000 people by 2032, including a projected 46.4 per cent increase in the nursing and midwifery workers, with 19,000 more on the frontline.

Queensland Health also anticipates needing almost 6,000 more doctors and 1,900 more paramedics over the same period.

Turnover rates (attrition) remained relatively steady with a slight drop to 6.12% in nursing and midwifery and a slight rise to 4.26% in doctor turnover between 2022-23 and 2023-24. Attrition rates across Queensland Health were around 7% in 2021-22.

In NSW Health, staff turnover rates were 13.1% in June 2023 with rates for nurses and doctors both over 10%.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman:

“We’re employing more doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health staff than ever before.”

“Vacancy rates are at their lowest level in a year but turnover rates in some of our regional and remote HHS are still high.

“We know there are challenges with some particular specialties, which we’re working to address through our Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme.

“The pandemic hit health workforces in every state hard.

“We weren’t the only place that saw high volatility when it came to staff turnover.

“It’s no surprise given how hard they had to work to keep Australians safe.

“While it appears turnover rates in Queensland are settling, there’s more work to do.

“Around 11% of our workforce is aged 60 and over.

“Attracting, training, and retaining staff to fill all the roles we’re funding is going to be the biggest challenge our health system has over the next decade.

“But the bottom line is that there will be no workforce left under the LNP - David Crisfaulli and Ros Bates sacked 4,400 health workers when they were in power – including 1,800 nurses and midwives.

“They’re on the record calling our regional health staff dud, and saying nurses are paid too much.

“Only the Labor government cares about backing in our health workforce – we are the only ones with a plan.”

ENDS

Media Contact: healthmedia@ministerial.qld.gov.au