Just 24 health workers helped under Morrison government scheme to bring 2,000 medics to Australia

Just 24 medical practitioners received direct assistance to come to Australia under a travel program announced by the Morrison government which promised to bring an extra 2,000 doctors and nurses into the country.

As Australia faces skills shortages across the health and aged care sectors, information obtained from the Department of Health shows that a program set up by the former health minister Greg Hunt in October last year that promised to bring in an extra 2,000 health practitioners over six months was discontinued after just two months.

Under the travel assistance program, the federal government provided advice and assistance to states and territories with visa processing, travel exemptions, quarantine arrangements and travel assistance for their employees to migrate to Australia.

It directly supported practitioners and their families, who were already at the final stage of registration, with flight assistance, visa processing, travel exemptions, and quarantine arrangements.

Butler has also said he wants to address any visa backlog in the immigration system that may be holding up skilled workers from entering the country, while also looking to speed up the skills accreditation process.

State and territory health ministers will meet with Butler this Friday, with the issue of hospital resourcing and workforce issues likely to be on the agenda.

The federal government will also begin negotiations with the states on the locations of their new urgent care clinics, which are designed to take pressure off stretched emergency departments.