Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to speak about the work of Allied Health Professions Australia, who today have officially launched a national petition calling on the government to expand Commonwealth prac payments to all allied health and medical students. Every Australian interacts with allied health and medical graduates when we get an X-ray, fill a prescription, see a GP or check-in with a psychologist. Medical and allied health professionals look after Australians at all ages and stages of our lives. To complete their training, allied health and medical students need to complete hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of hours of mandatory, unpaid practical placements.

Prac placements are like apprenticeships; students are learning and practising their skills, under supervision, while caring for us. In their final year of study, students are expected to use basic skills to diagnose and to treat patients. Placements are essential training for our health workforce, but they also put significant financial pressure on students, sometimes resulting in students skipping meals, sleeping in cars or, unfortunately, dropping out of their courses altogether. As the cost-of-living pressures rise, so do these financial pressures on our students.

I've previously spoken in this place about the healthcare students in Indi, including Gemma, who is studying diagnostic radiography, Darcy, a physiotherapy student, and Zac, who is studying dentistry. I've also recently heard from Alex from Wangaratta, a fourth-year medical student who will undertake 25 to 35 hours per week of unpaid placement this year. Now these students have all told me that undertaking unpaid placement has caused significant financial stress, and unfortunately their stories are not unique. A national placement poverty survey from the Health Students Alliance found a staggering 81 per cent of students took unpaid leave to undertake placement, 78 per cent of students struggled to pay bills due to placement and, concerningly, 53 per cent considered leaving their degree due to the burden of placement.

At this time of urgent healthcare workforce shortages, particularly in rural and regional areas, we cannot let financial pressures prevent or delay students from completing health degrees. Expanding Commonwealth prac payments to include all allied health and medical students is a practical solution, giving our future health workforce the financial support they need to complete their degrees.

Alongside Senator David Pocock, I'm pleased to co-sponsor Allied Health Professions Australia's petition to expand prac payments. I urge everyone to sign this petition. Share it with your friends and family as well. Let's look after the next generation of medical professionals, because one day they will look after us.

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