The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) says clinical leadership is essential for solving NSW's healthcare workforce crisis. It welcomes the Beasley Report's recognition that better workforce planning requires medical expertise at the decision-making table.
CPMC emphasised that NSW has failed to adequately plan its specialist medical workforce, leaving families across the state unable to access specialists when and where they need them.
A/Prof Sanjay Jeganathan, Chair of CPMC, said the Beasley Report confirms what medical colleges have long advocated.
"We applaud Beasley for recognising there has been a lack of clinical leadership included in decision-making regarding the workforce," A/Prof Jeganathan said.
"The report specifically calls for 'continued use of the colleges' specialist expertise included in the governance and planning."
The Beasley Report exposes flawed planning, finding that NSW has not "done a very good job of predicting ahead of time how many doctors it will need, nor facilitating collaboration between educational institutions and medical colleges for the delivery of that workforce."
This planning failure directly impacts NSW families who cannot access specialists when and where they need them.
Families are forced to spend thousands on private care, travel long distances for appointments, and endure delayed diagnoses leading to worse health outcomes.
"While this report focuses on NSW, we know this crisis is more widespread across Australia," A/Prof Jeganathan said.
"The lack of workforce planning is why NSW families are paying the price." CPMC calls on NSW Health to immediately include clinical leadership in workforce planning decisions, collaborate with medical colleges, including sharing workforce data, and fund more training positions where specialists are most needed.
CPMC Chair A/Prof Sanjay Jeganathan puts it simply: "The Beasley Report confirms what we've long known—doctors must help shape our healthcare future. We're ready to team up with NSW Health to make it happen."
Evidence shows Australian families benefit when governments include medical leadership in planning decisions. "The solutions exist, but they require government leadership and long-term thinking," A/Prof Jeganathan said.
"It's time for NSW to act on this evidence."
About us:
The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges represents Australia's specialist medical colleges and works to ensure all Australians have access to safe, quality specialist healthcare.
