The Jobs and Skills Summit can be a turning point for Australia’s health workforce if the policy lens is widened beyond GP numbers, and a coordinated national plan is developed to address broader skills shortages says the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA).

At the height of an aged care workforce crisis, the sector is facing further pressures from diminishing allied health staff, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has told a Senate hearing on the Government’s Aged Care Amendment Bill.

“We’re hearing reports from a major provider that up to 50 per cent of physiotherapists will be let go, meaning 50 per cent less physiotherapy within residential aged care,” APA President Scott Willis told the hearing on Thursday.

The Federal Government’s Aged Care Amendment Bill is a welcome first step in over-due sector reform, but more is required to meet the complex healthcare needs of older people.