Allied Health

The Allied Health workforce in Australia is comprised of allied health professionals, technicians, assistants, and support workers. Allied health is a rapidly growing part of Australia’s health workforce, with about 200,000 registered practitioners split across nationally and self-regulated workforces, and more than 5,400 allied health assistants and support workers.

Allied health services are delivered primarily in the private sector and includes a variety of professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, podiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and more. These workers play a crucial role in supporting the health and well-being of Australians delivering a broad range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic, and direct health and wellbeing services.

Over the past decade, the allied health workforce has grown substantially in both size and full-time equivalent (FTE) rates, driven by increased demand for healthcare services, particularly as Australia’s population ages and chronic disease prevalence rises. Growth in demand for allied health services is expected to continue to grow over the next decade, especially in rural areas.

The use of Allied Health Assistants continues to grow and they play a vital role in supporting allied health professionals in delivering healthcare services. They work under the supervision of registered practitioners and provide assistance in various capacities.
Allied Health Assistants are crucial in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of allied health services. By handling routine tasks and providing support, they allow registered practitioners to focus on more complex clinical duties and patient care. As the allied health sector continues to expand, the need for Allied Health Assistants will rise correspondingly.

The scope of practice for Allied Health Assistants is likely to expand as the health system adapts to meet the growing needs of the population. Government policies and regulations will play a significant role in shaping the future of allied health assistants.