Allied health: untapped potential in the Australian health system

Although comprising around 20 per cent ofAustralia's health care workforce, allied health and its contribution to improving health outcomes remains poorly understood and largely invisible in the Australian health policy and reform environment. There is strong evidence demonstrating the benefits of allied health in improving patient outcomes, minimising risk and harm from illness and improving health system efficiency and capacity to meet increased demand cost effectively. Despite this, the existing health model, funding and culture prevent us from effectively accessing these benefits at a system level. The untapped potential of allied health represents a major underutilised resource to address many of the challenges facing Australia's health system today. A transformational change in the Australian health system in how, where and by whom care is provided is necessary. Australia's health model and culture needs to shift, to genuinely involve the consumer and make fill use of all three pillars of the patient care workforce.