Skip to content
Education Training, Government Federal

‘Don’t leave us behind’: allied health professionals urge action on placement poverty

Health Services Union 2 mins read

As the Senate Education Employment Legislation Committee scrutinises the University Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill, the Health Services Union (HSU) is renewing its call for the Federal Government to extend paid placements to allied health.

Under the Bill, some social workers, nurses and teachers undertaking mandatory placement will be eligible for means-tested financial support.

However, all allied health professionals, except for social workers, are excluded from the budget measure announced in May. 

The HSU’s submission to the Committee highlights that most allied health students also endure severe placement hardship. Some courses requiring up to 2,300 hours of compulsory practicum.

Overlooking placement poverty in allied health only prolongs the suffering those students face.

The flow-on effects are gendered: this is a workforce that predominantly identifies as women – in the case of speech pathologists, 98% of the profession.

HSU members are standing together, and calling on the government to extend its proposed paid placement support to allied health.

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO HSU NATIONAL SECRETARY, LLOYD WILLIAMS:

“While we welcome the Federal Government extending financial support to students enduring hardship on placement, we can’t fathom why allied health has been left behind.”

“The Universities Accord said that there should be paid placements in the care sector. Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists and psychologists are some of the largest tertiary-qualified professions within it. Why exclude them?”

“Workforce shortages across allied health are disrupting hospitals and outcomes for Australians using the NDIS and aged care systems. Barriers to study only make these worse.”

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO COURTNEY – RADIATION THERAPIST AND HSU MEMBER:

“The workload of a Radiation Therapy undergraduate student is exhausting. We are required to manage a full-time academic workload while also completing 42 weeks of unpaid placement at 35 hours per week. Placement poverty must be addressed.”

QUOTES ATTRIUBTABLE TO MATTEO – CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND HSU MEMBER:

“Clinical psychologists in training are studying for minimum six years before they are eligible to be paid as a psychologist. My HELP debt peaked at $91,740 due to indexation, because I was unable to work with clinical endorsement until 8 years of study.

"After working for 5 years, my HELP debt is still $87,260. The debt is crippling, and a large portion of salary goes towards paying off just indexation rises.”

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO SAMUEL – PHARMACY STUDENT AND HSU MEMBER:

“Earlier this year I was assigned a four-week placement at a hospital in Sydney, four hours away. Unfortunately, I was told that accommodation is only available for rural placement. I had to stay at a hostel for the four weeks, which cost me just shy of $2,000.”

“The interest rates increased while my wife was on maternity leave, and our mortgage went up to 55% of our combined income. I exhausted all our savings – four months later, we have not been able to replace any savings or catch up on our bills. The only reprieve is I will soon graduate.”


Contact details:

Matt Coughlan 0400 561 580 / matt@hortonadvisory.com.au

More from this category

  • Education Training, Youth
  • 04/10/2024
  • 10:32
Sunshine Coast Council

What will bring world’s brightest to Sunshine Coast?

An event that attracts the world’s brightest young minds is coming to the Sunshine Coast for the first time in a major coup for…

  • Contains:
  • Education Training, Foreign Affairs Trade
  • 04/10/2024
  • 10:24
UNSW Sydney

President José Ramos-Horta to visit UNSW Sydney

The President of Timor-Leste will be visiting UNSW Sydney on Tuesday 8 October. The University’s focus is to help support the people of Timor-Leste in advancing their development goals, 25 years on from independence. UNSW Sydney is delighted to welcome Timor-Leste’s President Dr. José Ramos-Horta to UNSW Sydney. During the visit on Tuesday 8 October, the President will meet with UNSW senior leadership and participate in a number of forums on social justice, human rights and legal issues, as well as important discussions relating to water and food security and economic empowerment. UNSW Acting Vice-Chancellor and President, Provost Vlado Perkovic,…

  • Contains:
  • Government Federal, Medical Health Aged Care
  • 04/10/2024
  • 09:58
Doctors Reform Society

Greens Primary Health Care Policy: A Welcome Change of Direction

The Doctors Reform Society of AustraliaPO Box 591Ermington NSW 1700ph (02) 9613 8305fax (02) 9613 8305 drs@drs.org.au Greens Policy: A Change indirection for Primary Health Care “Whilst the new Greens policies to support Medicare item numbers and bulk billing incentives would bring some immediate relief to patients struggling to access affordable primary care, it is the longer-term goal of establishing entirely public Primary Health Care centres that could be the gamechanger our health care system badly needs” says Dr Scott Douglas, President of the Doctors Reform Society. “Fee-for-service is not an efficient or equitable approach to providing high quality health…

Media Outreach made fast, easy, simple.

Feature your press release on Medianet's News Hub every time you distribute with Medianet. Pay per release or save with a subscription.