Gladstone Health Workforce Collaborative

The Gladstone Health Workforce Collaborative (previously known as the Gladstone Health Education Pathways Working Group), was established in July 2023 by Health Workforce Queensland (HWQ) to implement some of the workforce related recommendations from the Gladstone Health Plan 2022-2032. With HWQ providing Secretariat and project support, and representation from local council, universities and the health and community sectors, the four priority areas of the Collaborative are:

• Recruit a local Health Workforce Connector.

• Increase access to suitable housing and accommodation for students on placement, new-to-the-area health professionals and visiting specialists.

• Support health care practices to strengthen their capability and capacity to provide clinical supervision and mentorship to university students and new graduates.

• Coordinate community support for health students, graduates and health professionals relocating to Gladstone.

The Collaborative has achieved early success by securing funding from the Queensland Government for a Health Workforce Connector (HWC) position for an initial 12 months, commencing in late 2024. Working closely with health students, primary health care practices/health care services, universities and community organisations, the HWC will focus on facilitating clinical placement opportunities for students to support the development of a health workforce pipeline in Gladstone.

Other activities of the Collaborative in 2023-2024 include:

• With the support of HWQ and the University of Queensland (UQ); delivery of a clinical supervision workshop for health professionals in Gladstone, designed to enhance their skills and confidence in supervising university students whilst on placement. This workshop has resulted in the professional development of nine local nursing and allied health practitioners across primary and tertiary care in Gladstone, with additional workshops planned for 2024-2025.

• Central Queensland University (CQU) endeavouring to place health students with a Gladstone home address into a student placement within a local health service.

• Leading a grant application to obtain funding for a feasibility study and development of a business case for a proposed Gladstone Health Precinct. A mixed-use facility, the Precinct will bring together the community, universities, government, health service providers and consumers to improve the health outcomes of the people of Gladstone; with short-term accommodation for students and visiting specialists, clinicians and out-of-town patients accessing health services in Gladstone, a key component of the proposal.

Looking ahead to 2024-2025, the Collaborative has exciting plans, including exploring options for the establishment of student led clinics to address service gaps in areas of need in Gladstone and surrounds.