Allied health professionals in Northern Tasmania say patient safety and service quality is at risk if their workloads continue to rise in unsustainable, understaffed and underpaid workplaces.
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HACSU state secretary Tim Jacobson said such working conditions make it difficult to recruit and retain staff in allied health services, especially since many of professionals in these sectors must be recruited from interstate.
Health minister Jeremy Rockliff assured that this issue would be looked at by the Health Staff Recruitment Taskforce, and recommendations made.
A statewide survey of 150 people working in allied health, conducted by HACSU, found that 85 per cent of respondents believe the scope and complexity of their workloads continue to increase, while at the same time 77 per cent believe their workplaces are understaffed.
Up to 62 per cent reported working unpaid overtime, 75 per cent say their workload is unsustainable and many of these say that their work pressures could lead to personal leave.
One in two professionals surveyed said they have considered leaving their current employer.
This group includes an array of professionals within allied health across Tasmania, including child safety officers, cousellors, dental therapists, hospital scientists, pharmacists, podiatrists, radiographers, microbiologists and speech pathologists.
The vast majority of those surveyed worked within the Tasmanian Health Service.
Mr Jacobson said the state was unable to attract suitably qualified allied health professionals to Tasmania, resulting in waiting lists.
"Allied health are the key to keeping people out of the hospitals, they perform a range of services that keep people out of our emergency departments," he said.
"One of the issues is that we only train up to five or six of the professions here in Tasmania, so we are in a national recruitment market, and given the circumstances around support and wages that are provided to them, and obviously what people know about the health crisis here in Tasmania, we are finding it extraordinarily difficult to recruit people into the state."
The HACSU report said reliance on the goodwill and good nature of AHPs cannot continue.
Mr Rockliff welcomed the report, and said he recognised the value of all health professionals, including those in allied health.
"The newly established Health Staff Recruitment Taskforce will bring together a range of stakeholders, including HACSU, to make recommendations on strategies to support the recruitment of a more stable and permanent workforce.
"The Taskforce will also oversee the development of a range of recruitment strategies for health professionals, including consideration of incentives where there are critical shortages."
Mr Rockliff has committed to employing 280 full time extra staff across the heath system, including allied health professionals.
"We all know what the challenges are, what is important is that we work together in a productive and collaborative way on addressing them."
