An Investigation of Psychology Staffing in Australian Metropolitan Acute Public Hospitals

Abstract

Psychology is one component of the multidisciplinary services provided to patients in acute public hospitals, with research demonstrating that psychological intervention significantly enhances clinical outcomes for patients across a range of health issues. Despite the increasingly important role that psychologists play in Australian hospitals, there remains a lack of information available about staff levels, discipline structures, and clinical activity for psychological services within acute hospital settings. The most recent Australian data about hospital‐based psychology services was collected 20 years ago. The current study provides updated information from a survey of 15 Australian metropolitan, acute public hospitals: presenting and critically reviewing staffing configurations and models of service delivery. Results suggest that: (a) hospitals employ a highly skilled workforce at a rate of 0.16 full‐time equivalent psychology staff for every 10 hospital beds; (b) psychologists have a viable career pathway within the hospital‐based health sector; (c) role diversity is common, with the primary focus varying as a function of position level; (d) neuropsychology staffing requires urgent attention to address significant delays in access to services; and (e) public hospitals actively contribute to current and future workforce development through supervision, research, and training. The implications of these results for the future of psychological services in Australian healthcare are discussed.

Key words:

• Australian health care
• psychological services
• psychologists
• psychology staffing levels
• public hospitals

Conflict of interest: There are no relationships that may lead to conflict of interest. However, while not representing a conflict of interest, ALJB has received honoraria for general practitioner/nursing education sessions and steering committee participation from Mundipharma and Pfizer/Elixir Health, and serves as the South Australian State Director of the Australian Pain Society, which receives sponsorship for its Annual Scientific Meeting and Research Scholarship Program from a range of pharmaceutical and medical device companies including Mundipharma, Janssen‐Cilag, Pfizer Australia, and Medtronic Australasia.

Conflict of interest: There are no relationships that may lead to conflict of interest. However, while not representing a conflict of interest, ALJB has received honoraria for general practitioner/nursing education sessions and steering committee participation from Mundipharma and Pfizer/Elixir Health, and serves as the South Australian State Director of the Australian Pain Society, which receives sponsorship for its Annual Scientific Meeting and Research Scholarship Program from a range of pharmaceutical and medical device companies including Mundipharma, Janssen‐Cilag, Pfizer Australia, and Medtronic Australasia.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Dr Aspa Sarris (The University of Adelaide) for her comments on earlier drafts and her assistance in conceptualising the project.

Notes

Conflict of interest: There are no relationships that may lead to conflict of interest. However, while not representing a conflict of interest, ALJB has received honoraria for general practitioner/nursing education sessions and steering committee participation from Mundipharma and Pfizer/Elixir Health, and serves as the South Australian State Director of the Australian Pain Society, which receives sponsorship for its Annual Scientific Meeting and Research Scholarship Program from a range of pharmaceutical and medical device companies including Mundipharma, Janssen‐Cilag, Pfizer Australia, and Medtronic Australasia.