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AHPRA criminal history standard review

The ASA has contributed to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) consultation on the Criminal history registration standard (the Standard). Our submission sets out aspects of the Standard that could be amended to provide stronger protections for patients, while supporting the rights of health practitioners to natural justice and privacy of their personal information.

Of course, the Standard applies only to the 25% of sonographers who are dual-qualified as radiographers. Our submission advises Ahpra that patients of the 75% of sonographers who are not dual qualified as radiographers do not benefit from the Standard’s protections.

You can read our full submission here.

Workforce

The ASA has been gathering critical data on the workforce situation in both Australia and New Zealand, including information on graduate numbers, clinical placements, retiring sonographers, and the dropout rate of students due to a lack of clinical placements. This data is used by the ASA to inform key stakeholders about the state of the sonographer workforce in both countries.

Building a sustainable sonographer workforce in Australia

In March 2023, the ASA hosted an industry Roundtable event in Canberra to discuss the sonography workforce and propose solutions to current concerns. The Roundtable brought together over 20 leaders from across the world of sonography, government, and the rural allied health sector.

The ASA has produced a report from that initial discussion, which contains the key points and recommendations recorded at the Roundtable.

Key report recommendations:

Incentivisation is needed for diagnostic imaging sites to take on student placements
Consider developing an apprenticeship/cadetship model for students
Consider accreditation of training sites and trainers
Specialist pathways should be further developed, in addition to general sonography
Stronger focus on competency-based student placements and assessment
Financial incentivisation will help enable organisations to take on sonography students
The onus should be on universities to organise placements, rather than on students
Collaboration is key – particularly between the private, public, and university sectors
Demands on sonographers’ time could be freed up through different measures including triaging between referrers and diagnostic imaging to address possible overservicing
Developing measures to address workforce shortages in rural areas, including promoting and training locals to help retain staff
Developing measures to address the shortage of clinical supervisors in sonography, including subsidising the cost of training for clinical supervisors
Developing measures to ensure career satisfaction and reduce burnout.

The ASA will use this report to advocate its key recommendations to Government, industry, the education sector, and the wider sonography profession. The ASA plans to hold another Roundtable event with Government and industry partners, to present and discuss the recommendations and their implementation, as well as the allocations of funding required from the different sectors and government.

New Zealand

The New Zealand Sonographer Advisory Group (NZSAG) was formed in late 2022 to assist the ASA on addressing issues in New Zealand. NZSAG has been very active in the first few months of 2023, assisting in the responses to two consultations. On 8 February 2023, the ASA met with the Chief Allied Health Officer and had a workforce discussion with key industry stakeholders. The conversation was very productive, and the Ministry of Health aims to build a picture of key issues impacting on the health workforce.

Australian Government Federal Budget 2023-24

The 2023-24 Budget was announced on 9 May 2023 with a significant focus on health, items relevant to sonography practice in Australia included -

Supervision requirements

Under the Health Insurance (Diagnostic Imaging Services Table) Regulations (No. 2) 2020 (DIST), all R-type services must meet the requirements stipulated in clause 2.1.2.

Changes were made in the Budget, and the current clause 2.1.7 on Musculokeletal (MSK) ultrasound services - personal attendance will be removed. From 1 November 2023, personal attendance by the responsible medical practitioner will no longer be required for MSK ultrasound services. Clinical supervision of MSK ultrasound by the responsible medical practitioner will still be required in accordance with the regulations.

Sharing pathology and diagnostic imaging reports to My Health Record (MHR) by default and national standards to establish eRequesting capability

In partnership with the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency), the Department will progressively implement requirements for healthcare providers to share key health information to MHR by default, commencing with pathology and diagnostic imaging reports. The Department will provide more information shortly about how organisations can be involved in consultations.

In addition, the Department will collaborate with key sector stakeholders to design a national eRequesting capability. This work includes establishing the technical, clinical terminology and exchange standards required to implement a national eRequesting capability (pending future decision of Government) for pathology and diagnostic imaging health services.

Scope of practice review for Allied Health

$3 million in 2023-24 and 2024-25 to undertake a review that examines current models of care against community needs and recommends appropriate expansion to scopes of practices and models of care for a range of health professionals providing primary care services (both registered and self-regulated, including medical practitioners, nurses, midwives, and allied health). The Review will involve extensive consultation with various stakeholders including (but not limited to) state and territory governments, health services, peak bodies, employers, relevant health professional Boards and education and training institutions.

ASA consultations and submissions update

The ASA has responded to several consultations in 2023, including a proposed AHPRA data strategy, a consultation on a sustainable healthcare module, the Australia pre-budget submission, the post-budget response New Zealand, the Student Placement Project New Zealand and Primary Health Tasmania Allied Health Engagement Strategy (live video consultation only).

Read our recent written Consultations and Submissions here

NSW Town Hall Meeting on Sonographer Awards

On 14 March 2023, the ASA hosted a Town Hall meeting on sonographer awards in NSW. The interactive meeting was very well attended: participants had opportunities to respond to polls, provide comments and speak to the wider group during the lively online discussion. This event has been invaluable in providing the ASA with material on members’ views on Award reform going forward. We will continue to engage the NSW membership on this issue.

Sonographer regulation

In 2022, the ASA held over 30 meetings with health ministers, shadow health ministers and advisors across the country from diverse sides of politics, as well as unions, Commonwealth and State Department of Health officials, MRPBA, RANZCR, CAHOs, and representatives from the Health Chief Executives Forum (HCEF) to brief them on the issue of sonographer regulation.

In 2023 the ASA has already had 10 meetings to discuss sonographer regulation. Key meetings included Professor Brendan Murphy, Penny Shakespeare, Matthew Williams, Michael Ryan, Teressa Gorondi and Jonathan Bray from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, Dr Gordon Reid MP, and RANZCR.

We have been working with the Federal Shadow Health Minister, Senator Anne Ruston, on tabling questions on notice on the subject of sonographer regulation.

Workforce

The ASA has been gathering critical data on the workforce situation in both Australia and New Zealand, including information on graduate numbers, clinical placements, retiring sonographers, and the dropout rate of students due to a lack of clinical placements. This data is used by the ASA to inform key stakeholders about the state of the sonographer workforce in both countries.

Australia

On Friday 17 March 2023, the ASA hosted an industry roundtable event in Canberra on the sonographer workforce. Participants include representations from the public and private sectors, universities, sonography tutors, unions and government. The roundtable aimed to determine solutions to addressing sonographer workforce issues, which include the shortage of clinical placements, an ageing/retiring workforce, a growing demand for services, and finding opportunities to help ensure a sustainable, satisfying career pathway. The ASA will produce a report that sets out a series of recommendations for change to address the sonographer workforce shortage so that patients have timely access to quality ultrasounds.

New Zealand

The New Zealand Sonographer Advisory Group (NZSAG) was formed in late 2022 to assist the ASA on addressing issues in New Zealand. NZSAG has been very active in the first few months of 2023, assisting in the responses to two consultations. On 8 February 2023, the ASA met with the Chief Allied Health Officer and had a workforce discussion with key industry stakeholders. The conversation was very productive, and the Ministry of Health aims to build a picture of key issues impacting on the health workforce.