WA Health has launched a recruitment campaign to build on the State’s health workforce, starting by calling on recently left midwives to consider more flexible work opportunities should they return to the Western Australian health system.
According to the Department of Health, like many jurisdictions around the world WA is experiencing workforce pressures, including increasing demand for experienced midwives.
The Department is to write to the midwives to offer them casual appointments with more flexible working arrangements.
According to the Minister for Health, Amber-Jade Sanderson, the incentives were on offer for regional placements including travel, meal, accommodation and daily allowances.
“We know Western Australians are increasingly looking for more flexible working arrangements and we want to ensure that workforce needs continue being met while delivering world-class patient care,” Ms Sanderson said.
“People’s circumstances can change and midwives who have recently left the profession may want to take a flexible role that can work around their family and lifestyle,” she said.
“We thank our dedicated healthcare workers for their contribution to the care of Western Australian families over the course of their careers, and hope they will consider re-joining the WA health system.”
WA Health said there were also flexible metropolitan placements available which could be tailored to suit families and lifestyles.
“This initiative builds on other ongoing recruitment efforts, including the successful Belong campaign, which remains in markets both interstate and overseas,” WA Health said.
It said the recruitment campaign is including TV, radio, press and digital advertising in intrastate and interstate markets, with the addition of digital advertising in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
WA Health said that from January to May of this year its clinical workforce grew by 1,107 Full Time Equivalents (FTE) of nurses and midwives and 412 FTE medical practitioners.
“As a Government, we are committed to doing everything we can to support our healthcare workers, which includes ongoing recruitment of additional staff,” Ms Sanderson said.
