Medical administration

2016 Factsheet
Medical administration is administration or management Workforce quick facts
utilising the medical and clinical knowledge, skill, and judgement
of a registered medical practitioner. This may include 47.7 % Aged 60 or older
administering or managing a hospital or other health services, or
developing health operational policy, planning or purchasing of
57.8 Average age
health services. A minimum of three years full-time training
through the Royal Australian College of Medical Administration
is required to specialise in this area. 24.5 Average hours per week

Workforce 33.2 % Female

In 2016, there were 277 medical administrators employed in
Australia, of whom 20.2% worked in the private sector. The 80.9 % Located in a major city
majority (72.9%) of specialists in this field who completed the
2016 National Health Workforce Survey indicated their principal % Intend to retire within 10 years
68.0
role in medicine was an administrator.

Employed Over 32% of medical administrators indicated their principal

277
place of practice was in New South Wales and over 27%
indicated it was in Queensland.
Administrators Clinicians Educators Others*
202 57 9 9 Workforce by state & territory, 2016
35%
∗ Includes researchers and roles reported by survey respondents that did not fit predefined
survey categories.
30%
25%
Demographics of workforce 20%
In 2016, males represented 66.8% of medical administrators and 15%
had an average age of 58.4 years. Females represented 33.2%
of the workforce and were on average two years younger than 10%
male medical administrators. 5%

% of Average hours 0%
Category workforce Average age per week ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA
Male 66.8% 58.4 26.5 Proportion of workforce Proportion of Australian population*
Female 33.2% 56.4 17.3 * ABS 3101.0 – Australian Demographics Statistics. Released 22/09/16.
Total 100.0% 57.8 24.5

Ages of workforce, 2016 The Northern Territory had the highest ratio of medical
40% administrators in 2016 with 2.0 per 100,000 population. By
35% contrast, South Australia had the lowest ratio with 0.8 per
100,000 population.
30%
25%
20% Medical administrators per 100,000 population, 2016
15% 2.5
10%
2
5%
0% 1.5
30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+
Age 1

Distribution of workforce 0.5

In 2016, most medical administrators (80.9%) were located in a
major city or a location considered as MMM1 under the 0
ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA
Modified Monash Model classification system.
Medical administrators per 100,000 Average for Australia
Location of workforce by remoteness,
Modified Monash Model (MMM*)
MMM
category 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
% 80.9 9.0 6.9 0.7 1.4 1.1 -
∗ Further information on the Modified Monash Model is available at doctorconnect.gov.au
Contact: [email protected] October 2017 NHWDS Data Tool and Resources
 New fellows Workforce dynamics indicator*
The overall number of new fellows from the Royal Australasian The workforce dynamics indicator highlights areas of concern in
College of Medical Administrators decreased by 7.7% between the future. The indicators measured and their current status is
2013 and 2015. During this period, there were no overseas highlighted in the table below.
trained new fellows.
Note: The workforce dynamics indicators are for workforce
Number of new fellows, 2013-15 assessment purposes only and are not intended to guide future
2013 2014 2015 training numbers.
Males 7 18 9 ∗ Further information on the workforce dynamics Indicator is available at health.gov.au
Females 6 10 3
Total 13 28 12
Mi ni ma l concern Si gni fi ca nt concern

Vocational training
The number of trainees remained steady each year between Indicator Description Status
Ageing of Workforces with higher average
2013 and 2016.
workforce ages are more susceptible to higher
Trainee numbers, 2013-16 exit rates due to retirements.
Year Females Males Total Replacement rate This measure indicates whether
2013 43 64 107 trainee numbers are sufficient to
2014 43 72 115 replace the numbers leaving the
2015 43 61 104 workforce.
2016 47 63 110 Reliance on Workforces with high proportions
Change 2013-16 (%) 9.3% -1.6% 2.8% Overseas Trained of OTS are of concern because they
Specialists (OTS) depend on a supply stream
Vocational trainees, 2013-16 affected by immigration policies
that change.

2016 Duration of This measure indicates how long it

training program takes to train a replacement
workforce.
2015

2014
References
1) National Health Workforce Dataset (NHWDS): Medical Practitioners 2016.
2013 2) Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators.
st
3) Medical Education and Training Report 1 edition (Unpublished).
4) ABS 3101.0 – Australian Demographics Statistics. Released 22/09/16.
75 60 45 30 15 0 15 30 45 60 75 5) Australian Medical Association (AMA) Career Pathways Guide.
6) National Medical Training Advisory Network (NMTAN) – Prevocational Doctor Factsheet
Females Males Methodology Paper.

Vocational intentions Copyright

© 2017 Commonwealth of Australia as represented by the Department of Health
In 2016, there were 30 Hospital Non-Specialists (HNS*) who This work is copyright. You may copy, print, download, display and reproduce the whole or part
indicated their intention to undertake vocational training in of this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation,
for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your organisation:
medical administration. Over 46% were aged between 30-39
a) do not use the copy or reproduction for any commercial purpose; and
years and over 36% were aged 40 years or older. b) retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that copy or reproduction.
∗ A HNS is a medical practitioner employed in a salaried position mainly in a hospital. They do Apart from rights as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) or allowed by this copyright
not hold a specialist qualification and are not training to obtain one. They include career notice, all other rights are reserved, including (but not limited to) all commercial rights.
medical officers, hospital medical officers, interns, principal house officers, resident medical Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and other rights to use are to be sent to the
officers and registrars. Communication Branch, Department of Health, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or via e-mail
to [email protected].

Ages of HNS who intend to undertake medical

administration training, 2016
50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
20-29 30-39 40+
Age

Contact: [email protected] October 2017 NHWDS Data Tool and Resources