WORKING IN AUSTRALIA-

An Area of Need (AON) is any position/location in which there is a lack of specific medical practitioners or where there are medical positions that remain unfilled even after recruitment efforts have taken place over a period of time. Area of Need applies to both public and private sector positions.

Most overseas trained doctors (OTDs) are required to work in an Area of Need when they first come to Australia, unless they hold full Australian medical registration or have completed the standard pathway for specialist assesment or for GP/familyphysician assesment.

‘The Australian health system is world-class in both its effectiveness and efficiency: Australia consistently ranks in the best performing group of countries for healthy life expectancy and health expenditure per person.’ (World Health Organization 2003)

Australia’s robust private health sector is complemented by a universal public health system called Medicare. The way in which these two sectors have been combined and balanced ensures quality care and choice for all Australians.

Australians have affordable access to a broad range of quality health services that are either free at the point of delivery or subject to substantial government rebates. Doctors in private practice are largely free to determine the number of rebateable services they provide and the fees they charge to patients.

The two major national subsidy schemes, Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits scheme (PBS), subsidise payments for services provided by doctors and optometrists, and for a high proportion of prescription medications bought from pharmacies. Safety nets apply for Medicare and the PBS to protect Australians from high out-of pocket costs for medical services and pharmaceuticals provided outside of hospitals.

These two schemes are further integrated with social welfare arrangements, with larger rebates and/or lower safety net thresholds provided for individuals or families who receive certain income support payments (such as for unemployment or disability).

Additional information about the PBS can be found by accessing The PBS and you. The PBS and You is a stand alone educational resource, comprising 33 units of education, that allows for individual, self-paced learning in the users own environment.

Content taken from Australian government website doctorconnect.gov.au