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Job prospects in health down under
If you are a qualified healthcare worker with no criminal record and no history of medical problems, then the chances are that Australia wants you.
Healthcare workers are in short supply across the country, particularly in regional areas, and there are many ways for Brits to find their way into the industry. Gillian Edmond is a physiotherapist who is now the managing director of medical recruitment firm Plexus. She originally hails from Scotland, so understands the issues faced by British migrants. "There are lots of opportunities for nurses and specialist doctors over here, especially GPs, psychiatrists and anaesthetists," she says. "However, it isn't so easy for surgeons. "There are many hoops you have to go through in order to get registration here, and you need to be prepared to do this to make your experience a success. Nurses will also need a nursing degree and over one years' experience, and doctors will need special qualifications and their Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST)."
Why Australia?
There are many reasons that healthcare workers choose to emigrate to Australia, many of which are personal. "It's a great place to raise kids," says Gillian. "I was also attracted by the adventure and the outdoor lifestyle – and I was fed up of the weather in the UK!" There are numerous opportunities for British healthcare workers to flourish under the Australian healthcare system. "It's more laid-back here and the buildings are more modern, although there are high standards in both the British and the Australian healthcare systems," says Gillian. "The other main difference is that the system is not so overloaded – nurse numbers are legislated here, with one nurse to four patients."
One British migrant whose career has flourished in Australia is Scottish-born Professor Ian Frazer. Dr Frazer was recently awarded the Australian of the Year award for his work as Director of the Centre for Cancer and Immunology Research at the University of Queensland. His decision to move to Australia was largely influenced by Australia's training opportunities in clinical immunology.
Dr Frazer found that there were some major differences between working in Britain and working in Australia. These included getting to grips with the patient referral system, Australia pharmacopoeia and regulations and Australian diseases. On his first night on-call in emergency, for example, he had to treat a patient for redback spider bite!
The registration process
There are a number of steps that healthcare workers must make before applying for their visa. For doctors, these consist of satisfying the Australia Medical Council's English language requirement (hopefully something that shouldn't be too demanding for most British migrants) and passing the AMC exam consisting of theory and clinical components.
Hospital non-specialists must also meet the specific registration requirement of the relevant state or territory medical board for an Area of Need position, while specialists must apply to the relevant specialist medical college for AMC recognition as a specialist. After securing a visa, all healthcare workers must apply to the relevant state/ territory medical board for medical registration.
Finding a job
Doctors not immediately able to obtain full Australian medical registration can work in an Area of Need position. These are generally located outside of the obvious areas, often in rural parts of Australia. "British migrants can improve their chances of finding a job by being prepared to work outside the main centres," says Gillian. "There are some great towns just one hour from the capital centres and this is where the bulk of the jobs are."
If you wish to treat private patients, you must also be in a District of Workforce Shortage, which is an area where the population's general need for healthcare has not been met. You can find jobs by visiting the Doctor Vacancy website , or by applying to an agency like Plexus Recruitment. Other possible routes into Australian healthcare jobs include contacting the state and territory Health Departments, which can be found here and by contacting the state and territory Rural Workforce Agencies, which can be found here.
For more information, visit Doctor Connect
British health workers down under – case studies
William "Billy" Bentley left his native Scotland in 2002 with his wife and two children, to emigrate to Melbourne, Australia and continue his career path as a nurse. Billy has not looked back since and he is now a Drugs and Alcohol Hospital Liaison Nurse at Frankston Hospital, situated about an hour from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsular.
Billy's career in nursing began after he qualified as a Registered Mental Nurse at Levendale Hospital and then completed a Post Graduate degree in Drug and Alcohol Studies at Paisley University. His first position was in aged care, after which he was a Community Psychiatric Nurse for the elderly. He then became a Home Detox Staff Nurse, where he was promoted to Charge Nurse in the same department. Keen to live in Australia, the Bentleys made a successful Australian residency application. Billy's daughter – a qualified nurse – contacted global health and social care recruiter, Beresford Blake Thomas (BBT), to help her arrange placements and interviews in Australia. Impressed with BBT's efficient service and its wide range of jobs across the globe, Billy submitted his CV to the company and two days later was offered a conference call interview for a job on the Acute Psychiatric Ward at Frankston Hospital.
On making the transition from a UK hospital to an Australian one, Billy says: "Working in an Australian hospital has been easy to adapt to, the medical system over here is very similar to the British system. Beresford Blake Thomas has been incredibly supportive, very prompt in all communication and helpful with the process of applications and registration for working in Australia. British nurses have a good reputation for being reliable and hardworking and we are in demand as there is a shortage of nurses here. In addition to all of this, there is great opportunity for promotion over here; the British training is respected in Australia."
Commenting on living Down Under, Billy enthuses: "The lifestyle here is great; there is a lot to do and see, beautiful beaches and a reasonable cost of living – not to mention the amazing weather! We originally came over here for a holiday a few years ago and it inspired our ambition to travel. We then thought seriously about applying for residency and we were over the moon when we were accepted. It has been a great challenge, and I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone thinking about doing it."
Billy suggested a few useful tips for those considering nursing in Australia: "Try to speak to someone who has already done it – it really helps to set your expectations on what to expect when you move. Apply early for a working visa, as you need to get all of your qualifications and registration forms verified both in the UK and Australia, which can take quite a long time. The other essential tip is to keep a record of all correspondence, calls and emails made during your application. The most important thing, though, is to make the most of your experience as it really is a once-in-a-lifetime chance."
Mark Scott
Mark is a dentist recently arrived in the Murray region from Ireland having previously worked in Scotland. Born a Scotsman, Mark lived and trained in Glasgow where he also worked for a number of years before moving to Galway on the emerald Isle. Mark is now living in Albury and working for the NSW Greater Southern Area Health Service. "I arrived on the 10th June last year and a few months in I must say I'm finding things here are really how I was promised they would be," says Mark. 'In the process of migrating you have some expectations you really hope will come true – it's a big personal and professional commitment so it's great that it is living up to them."
Although based in Albury, since arriving Mark has worked all over the region including Griffith, Deniliquin and Wagga Wagga. "Professionally I'm finding it very satisfying," he says. "You're definitely appreciated and your skills are acknowledged by the organisation. "I know healthcare can be a sensitive subject but I have to say that the resources, skills and level of commitment in the organisation give me a lot of confidence. I really get the feeling that everybody is able to 'join the dots' on what they're supposed to be doing and they get the backup to make it happen." When asked about why he chose Australia, Mark is very definite. "In my experience, Australians are very good at logistics and organising," he says. "It seemed that this carried over into my profession."
Mark made the decision when he met representatives from MurrayNow and the Murray Business Skilled Migration Unit. "There is also the obvious advantage that, as an English speaking country, I didn't need to learn another language," he says. Mark visited Australia twice for holidays in 2001 and 2003, finding the culture and the lifestyle to his liking. "Australia has really pretty countryside – since arriving I've seen a lot of it without having to take time off," he says. "I can't believe that I'm only an hour and a half from the ski resorts in one direction or a few of hours drive to the edge of the outback in the other. In between is lovely river country along the Murray."
Asked about the pros and cons, Mark is also very clear. "The overall package is the biggest strength; it really surprises me how competitive the whole offer is. I think the only thing stopping so many more dentists and doctors coming to the region is how widely the whole story is promoted." He continues: "The most demanding thing is the
immigration process you have to go through. It is rigorous and thorough, and rightly so, but it means you do have to stay focussed on how good things will be when you get here. "It certainly lives up to the promises. To be honest the hardest thing is coming to grips with the Australian obsession with sport, I'm finding it difficult to determine which are the real places of worship!"
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