Children across NSW will have improved access to health services following the recruitment of an additional 32 paediatric allied health professionals as part of the Minns Labor Government's $17.9 million investment.
32 FTE allied health professionals have been recruited across 15 local health districts and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, including speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers and dietitians.
The $17.9 million funding is helping to lower wait times and improve access to vital assessments, diagnosis and therapy for children across NSW, including those in rural and remote communities.
The additional staff include a mix of full-time and part-time roles across community and hospital settings.
This boost to the statewide public paediatric allied health workforce forms part of the $130.9 million Family Start Package in the 2024-25 NSW Budget to improve child health and wellbeing outcomes.
As part of this package, the Minns Labor Government also delivered:
- $2.3 million for Royal Far West's Paediatric Developmental Program to increase support for children with developmental concerns who live outside metropolitan areas.
- $45.5 million to support the establishment of Australia's first Aboriginal owned and midwifery led freestanding birth centre and community hub in Nowra.
The 2025-26 NSW Budget also invested in healthier families and communities, with more than $83 million for maternity care, family care centres and vaccination:
- $44.8 million to increase access to midwifery continuity of care models, including an additional 53 full-time equivalent midwives in regional NSW
- enhanced training for clinicians in respectful maternity care
- enhanced antenatal education and consumer information for patients
- $26.8 million to maintain seven family care centres, five mobile services and the Macksville residential unit, all in regional and rural NSW
- $5.7 million to support free vaccination to pregnant women to protect them and their babies from whooping cough, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infection
- $250,000 for virtual paediatrician support to general practitioners across NSW.
The recruitment of additional paediatric allied health workers builds on the work the Minns Labor Government is already doing to build an engaged, capable and supported workforce, by:
- Abolishing the wages cap and delivering the largest wage increase to healthcare workers in a decade;
- Implementing ratios in our emergency departments;
- Saving 1,112 nurses which the Liberal Government planned to sack;
- Supporting our future health workforce through providing them with study subsidies; and
- Investing $274 million to deliver an additional 250 healthcare workers at upgraded hospitals left with inadequate staff by the previous government.
The Liberals planned to cut staff and refused to introduce ratios; failed to deliver enough hospitals and beds to meet the growing needs of the community; and tried to privatise acute public hospitals.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Ryan Park:
"We are committed to ensuring children across the state have access to the right care, at the right time, close to home.
"This workforce boost is one of the most significant investments in paediatric allied health we've seen in NSW.
"By embedding more allied health professionals in our hospitals and community health centres, we are building a more responsive and equitable health system.
"The Liberals capped wages for health workers, planned to sack over 1,100 nurses, and refused to implement safe staffing.
"We are recruiting more staff and investing more in health than any other time in our state's history, so everyone can access the care they need and deserve."
Quotes attributable to HSU Secretary, Gerard Hayes AM:
"These additional Allied Health professionals will go a long way in improving access to care for children across our state. It's heartening to know their impact will be complemented by the HSU Award Reform program that will support enhanced scope of practice for Allied Health professionals.
"We commend the state government's commitment to expand the Allied Health workforce and strengthen it by supporting Allied Health professionals reforms that promote recognition of enhanced skills and structures that enable positive patient outcomes."
