MEDIA RELEASE

Monday, 22 July 2024

In a milestone for paramedicine, the Australasian College of Paramedicine (The College) has released the first report of a landmark three-year study identifying and exploring trends that affect the Australasian paramedicine workforce.

The inaugural Australasian Paramedicine Workforce Survey report 2023-24 explores the demographic, career trajectory, work motivations and conditions for those working in clinical, management and educational capacities within the paramedicine workforce of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

The survey findings reveal new insights into the current and future state of the paramedicine workforce across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and provide governments and decision-makers with crucial knowledge and evidence to better inform workforce planning.

“For too long, there has been a lack of a consistent and complete paramedicine workforce dataset that has had far-reaching implications for how governments and decision-makers plan and deliver healthcare services, and ultimately, improve person-centred care,” said College CEO John Bruning.

“This survey, which we are proud to have commissioned, takes a deeper look at paramedicine workforce trends, wellbeing, education and professional development, demographics, and fields of employment to provide a more comprehensive look at the profession beyond traditional ambulance service reporting.”

In 2022, the College commissioned Associate Professor Liz Thyer, from Western Sydney University (WSU), as Chief Investigator to lead a team of sixteen academics and researchers from WSU, Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Alecka Miles (ECU) and Dr Graham Howie (AUT) led the teams from their respective universities.

Assoc Prof Liz Thyer said: “Our team includes paramedics, researchers and workforce analysts enabling us to develop a survey that gets to the core of the paramedic profession. These insights can then be used to make a better, well-supported workforce for current paramedics and those studying to enter the profession.”

Key findings

• The demographic findings are largely reflective of the paramedicine population data available through the Paramedicine Board of Australia and Te Kaunihera Manapou | Paramedic Council.
• Nine percent of paramedics in Aotearoa New Zealand identify as Māori, and 3% as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Australia. While Māori workforce participation is higher in Aotearoa New Zealand, it lags behind overall population data.
• Survey participants were well educated and well paid, exceeding population averages for both education and salary.
• Students and paramedics under the age of 40 are predominately female, whereas those over 40, and particularly in management positions, are predominantly male.
• More than two in every five paramedics have carer responsibilities for children under the age of 16, and one in every five have caring responsibilities for an adult family member.
• More than 20% of paramedics are currently working for two or more employers. This was explored in regard to age, gender, income and hours worked.

Key considerations for the paramedicine workforce

• Initiatives that seek to increase workforce participation for females over the age of 40, coupled with increasing the proportion of females in management roles. For example, identifying and removing barriers to ongoing workforce participation for females aged over 40.
• Student/cadet recruitment campaigns that specifically target Māori and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds would enhance workforce representation that reflect the broader community.
• Resourcing and staffing levels remain a significant concern for paramedics in both countries. Ongoing research and research-informed advocacy to enhance the provision and availability of financial support for staffing and resources to paramedicine organisations across Australasia is a key priority for the future.

The data contained in this report will assist the College, and the broader paramedicine healthcare sector, in workforce planning. As health reform across Australasia looks to more broadly engage paramedics in multidisciplinary team-based models, the survey findings aim to support all employers of paramedics in better understanding the needs of their workforce, ultimately enhancing the quality of care provided to communities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Read full report here.