The ASA welcomes thoughtful discussion on how to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of Australia’s health system while ensuring equitable, timely access to high-quality care. A central element of any reform must be genuine clinician-informed and clinician-led approaches, given clinicians’ direct experience with patients and service delivery.
Anaesthetists in Australia are internationally recognised for their expertise, supported by robust quality and safety systems — including webAIRS, the world’s largest anaesthesia adverse-event reporting system — which demonstrates the specialty’s commitment to continuous improvement and patient-centred care. Anaesthetists bring deep, practical insight into hospital efficiencies, appropriate models of care, and the increasing complexity of patients noted in the recent Grattan Institute report, Smarter spending: Getting better care for every hospital dollar. Anaesthesia is a highly specialised field, and safe outcomes depend on this advanced skill set.
The ASA notes the Grattan Institute’s reference to “nurse anaesthetists.” This role does not exist within Australia’s regulated health workforce, and its use in the report misrepresents current practice. Nurses are essential to the healthcare system and highly valued members of perioperative teams, but Australia is already facing a projected shortage of almost 80,000 nurses by 2035. Workforce solutions must therefore be realistic, evidence-based, and aligned with existing regulatory and training frameworks.
While the ASA supports many of the Grattan Institute report’s aims, some proposals require further consideration to ensure they reflect the realities of Australia’s health workforce and maintain the safety and quality of care that Australians rightly expect.