5. National data set publications

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is responsible for the collation of much of the workforce data used by bodies such as AMWAC and AHWAC.

As Australia's national agency for health and welfare statistics and information the Institute collates labour force data for a range of health occupations.

Medical practitioners and nurses and midwives are surveyed annually. The last surveys of pharmacists, podiatrists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists took place in 2002 and 2003.

The AIHW's Dental Statistics and Research Unit, which is located in the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH) at the University of Adelaide, collects data on the dentists on an annual basis and other dental workers on a less frequent basis. Reporting is undertaken on a two to three year cycle. The latest published data are for 2003. Unpublished data on dental practitioners are available for 2005.

2008

Medical Labour Force 2005
Nursing and Midwifery Labour Force 2005

2007

Geographic Distribution of the Australian Dental Labour Force, 2003

2006

Australia's Health 2006
Medical Labour Force 2004
Nursing and Midwifery Labour Force 2004
Physiotherapy Labour Force 2002
Podiatry Labour Force 2003
Occupational Therapy Labour Force 2002-03
Psychology Labour Force 2003
Dental Therapist Labour Force in Australia 2003
Dental Prosthetist Labour Force in Australia 2003

2005

Dental Hygienist Labour Force in Australia 2003

Australian Bureau of Statistics

The ABS undertakes a national census of population and housing every five years. These have been conducted in 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006. Workforce data from the 2006 Census is available through data cubes for analytical purposes.

The ABS also undertake Labour Mobility Surveys, from which health workforce information can be extracted. The survey provides information on job mobility and job tenure for persons aged 15 to 69 years. It also collects details about jobs held during the preceding 12 months, including whether a job holder changed employer or locality, and reasons for change, fulltime or part-time status, occupation, industry and duration of job.

Indigenous Health Services

Annual surveys of Indigenous health services funded by the Australian Government are conducted and the data used to produce the Drug and Alcohol Service Report and the Service Activity Reports. Data is, however, not available to identify the number of health professionals providing services to the Indigenous people overall.