Medical overview
Medical practitioners (doctors) are a crucial part of the Australian health care system. Doctors diagnose and treat illnesses and health conditions. It is often through referrals from doctors that patients come into contact with other practitioners.
Employed medical practitioners
According to the AIHW Medical Labour Force Survey, the number of employed medical practitioners in 2009 was 20.7% higher than in 2005 (72,739 compared with 60,252 respectively). In 2009, 93.0% were working as clinicians, of whom 38.0% were primary care practitioners, followed by specialists (35.9%), specialists-in-training (13.5%) and hospital non-specialists (11.4%).
In 2009, the supply of employed medical practitioners increased to 350 full-time equivalent (FTE) medical practitioners per 100,000 population in Australia, based on a 40-hour standard working week, an increase from 323 in 2005.
Employed medical practitioners in Australia: selected features by main field of medicine, 2005 and 2009
| Main field |
Number |
Per cent
female |
Average
age |
Average hours
per week |
FTE rate |
| 2005 |
| Clinician |
56,084
|
32.9
|
44.9
|
43.9
|
301.8
|
| Primary care practitioner |
22,589
|
36.5
|
48.6
|
39.9
|
110.5
|
| Hospital non-specialist |
6,632
|
48.3
|
32.2
|
46.2
|
37.6
|
| Specialist |
19,943
|
20.9
|
49.2
|
45.7
|
111.7
|
| Specialist-in-training |
6,920
|
40.9
|
32.2
|
49.1
|
41.6
|
| Other clinician |
..
|
..
|
..
|
..
|
..
|
| Non-clinician |
4,168
|
33.1
|
48.3
|
41.6
|
21.3
|
| Total |
60,252
|
32.9
|
45.1
|
43.7
|
322.8
|
| 2009 |
| Clinician |
67,613
|
35.8
|
45.3
|
42.5
|
327.3
|
| Primary care practitioner |
25,707
|
39.4
|
49.3
|
38.3
|
112.1
|
| Hospital non-specialist |
7,677
|
47.2
|
33.5
|
45.9
|
40.1
|
| Specialist |
24,290
|
25.4
|
49.3
|
43.7
|
120.9
|
| Specialist-in-training |
9,154
|
43.6
|
33.1
|
48.5
|
50.6
|
| Other clinician |
785
|
39.9
|
45.6
|
36.1
|
3.2
|
| Non-clinician |
5,126
|
34.7
|
49.6
|
39.4
|
23.0
|
| Total |
72,739
|
35.7
|
45.6
|
42.2
|
349.6
|
Note: Main area of clinical practice included the new category of "Other clinician" from 2007 onwards.
Medical practitioners worked an average of 42.2 hours per week in 2009, a decrease from 43.7 hours per week in 2005. Female medical practitioners worked fewer hours, on average, than their male counterparts (37.5 compared with 44.9 hours per week).
Among the 70,180 medical practitioners in Australia who reported the area of their main work location in the four weeks prior to the survey, 79.9% work in Major cities, 13.1% in Inner regional areas, 5.5% in Outer regional areas and 1.3% in Remote/Very remote areas.
Primary care practitioners
Primary care practitioners engage in general practice or in the primary care of patients. Primary care practitioner numbers rose 13.8% between 2005 and 2009 (from 22,589 to 25,707). The supply of primary care practitioners increased between 2005 and 2009 from a rate of 111 to 112 FTE per 100,000 population, based on a 40-hour standard week. The proportion of primary care practitioners who were female rose slightly over the five years from 36.5% to 39.4%.
Hospital non-specialists
Hospital non-specialists are medical practitioners mainly employed in salaried jobs in a hospital who do not have a recognised specialist qualification and who are not in training to gain a recognised specialist qualification. The hospital non-specialist force grew by 15.8% from 6,632 in 2005 to 7,677 in 2009. This was equivalent to an increase from 38 to 40 FTE hospital non-specialists per 100,000 population.
Specialists
Medical specialists are doctors recognised by the relevant specialist professional college for specialist practice in fields such as pathology, surgery and internal medicine. The number of employed specialist clinicians increased 21.8% between 2005 and 2009 (from 19,943 to 24,290). The FTE number per 100,000 population rose from 112 to 121.
Specialists-in-training
Specialists-in-training are medical practitioners who have been accepted by a specialist medical college into a training position supervised by a member of the college. The number of specialists-in-training increased by 32.8% between 2005 and 2009, from 6,920 to 9,154. This equates to a rise of 9 FTE per 100,000 up to 50.6 FTE per 100,000 population. Trainee numbers in internal medicine increased by 43.6% while trainees in surgery rose by 28.6%.
Non-clinicians
In 2009, there were 5,126 medical practitioners employed in Australia in a non-clinical capacity. This small group comprised 1,524 administrators, 866 teachers and educators, 1,322 researchers, 516 public health physicians, 310 occupational health physicians and another 589 in other non-clinical roles.
Publications
For detailed statistics based on the Medical Labour Force surveys, see the following publications: