S.TRUEMAN PhD THESIS 2016

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In 2013, there were 2,977 registered psychiatrists in Australia (Health Workforce Australia, 2013). Clearly, with increasing remoteness there is reduced supply of and access to psychiatrists; this trend is illustrated in Table 1.8. Table 1.8 Number of Psychiatrists by Remoteness Classification and FTE per 100,000 population, 2012 (Source: Health Workforce Australia, 2013)

Major Cities

Inner Regional Outer Regional

Remote/ Very Remote

Number of Psychiatrists FTE per 100,000 population

2,620

257

80

14

16.3

5.9

4.2

3.0

With reference to Table 1.8, in 2013, there were 16.3 FTE psychiatrists per 100,000 of the population for major cities, the highest of any remoteness classification; meanwhile, the lowest numbers were for remote and very remote areas, at 3.0 FTE (AIHW, Medical Labour Force Survey of 2013). This disparity is also reflected in the fact that 88% of the total psychiatric workforce work in major cities and only 0.47% work in remote and very remote areas. Mirroring the remote nursing workforce (see Chapter 1), remote psychiatrists work the longest hours of any remoteness classification area cohort. 1.6.9.3 Psychologists The AIHW (2013) reported that in 2012, 22,404 psychologists were employed in Australia. The supply of psychologists was highest in major cities, both in whole numbers and in FTE (per 100,000 population), and correspondingly lowest in remote or very remote areas (see Table 1.9). Table 1.9 shows that 82% of psychologists work in major cities