The Malinauskas Labor Government is launching a campaign to lure health workers from interstate and overseas to South Australia – with financial incentives of up to $15,000 on offer – to join the growing ranks with 550 extra clinical staff recruited in Labor’s first year in office.
New data shows the Malinauskas Government has successfully bolstered our hospitals and health sites with hundreds more staff since being elected a year ago - but we’re putting the call out for even more.
The health staffing boost achieved in Labor’s first year (March 2022 to March 2023, full time equivalent) equals:
- 278 extra nurses
- 89 extra doctors
- 141 extra ambos
- 42 extra allied health workers
These 550 additional staff above attrition are supporting the Government’s commitment to open hundreds more beds right across the system to deliver better healthcare for South Australians. The recruitment is far in excess of election commitment targets.
A new For Work. For Life advertising campaign aims to entice even more nurses, midwives, doctors, mental health professionals, specialists and a range of allied and scientific health workers from interstate and overseas over the next three months.
The campaign will involve ads in industry publications and social media targeted to health workers, promoting competitive pay and career opportunities in SA as well as an enviable lifestyle highlighting our world-class beaches and nature.
It will initially target workers from interstate and New Zealand as well as the United Kingdom where disgruntled doctors have been striking over pay and conditions.
The State Government hopes to lure some of these workers to our shores, with
doctors in the UK already campaigning on Australia being a better place to work.
The For Work. For Life campaign will run until the end of August, with videos in development and further reach into other countries such as Canada, the United States and Ireland over the next few months.
To coincide with the campaign, the Government is also offering financial incentives for those who relocate here, as well as for existing workers who move from metro to country regions within SA to fill gaps.
Successful applicants who sign contracts with SA Health before the end of the year will be eligible for financial reimbursements of up to $15,000.
This will help cover relocation costs such as travel, short-term accommodation, and other reasonable expenses.
Financial reimbursement will include:
- Up to $10,000 for a move to metropolitan locations (within 100kms of the Adelaide CBD)
- Up to $13,000 for regional locations (greater than 100km outside of the Adelaide CBD)
- Up to $15,000 for remote locations
For more information on the campaign visit For Work. For Life.
Quotes
Attributable to Peter Malinauskas
We promised to deliver hundreds more health workers to provide better care for the community – and that’s exactly what we’re doing, ahead of schedule.
These additional doctors, nurses, ambos and other workers are vital in helping us open the hundreds of extra beds needed to deliver a better health system.
South Australia is a great place to live and work and we hope this new campaign will attract even more staff to come here.
Attributable to Chris Picton
It’s fantastic to see these increases in staff across our health workforce – but the reality is that we need more doctors, nurses, ambos and allied health workers to support our commitment for a better system.
South Australia is an amazing place to live and work, and this recruitment campaign will highlight the best of what our state has to offer to health professionals across the globe.
We know there can be financial barriers for people considering relocating and we hope the combination of supports through these reimbursements and the promotion of our brilliant state will encourage health professionals to consider a successful life and career in South Australia.
The UK Government has been at loggerheads with its junior doctors – and our much more attractive pay and conditions make it very appealing for more of those doctors to now make the move.
Attributable to Department for Health and Wellbeing Chief Executive Dr Robyn Lawrence
We are pleased to launch the For Work. For Life recruitment campaign to attract health professionals of the highest calibre to South Australia.
SA Health is committed to growing our workforce so that our communities can receive outstanding healthcare swiftly and closer to home. We will continue to explore all available avenues to strengthen South Australia’s medical workforce and healthcare delivery.
