SA Rural Oral Health Workforce Plan

The SA Rural Oral Health Workforce Plan 2021–26 has been co-developed under the leadership of the Rural Health Workforce Strategy Steering Committee and the expert advisory group, the Rural and Remote Oral Health Coalition (RROHC).

The SA Rural Oral Health Workforce Plan was released by the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, the Hon. Stephen Wade MLC, on 15 December 2021.

The SA Rural Oral Health Workforce Plan outlines strategies to attract, retain, grow and support the oral health workforce. SA Dental, partners of the Rural and Remote Oral Health Coalition and all regional local health networks are key stakeholders in the implementation of strategies within this plan, and will assist in driving changes to support the current and future oral health workforce at the local level.

The process to develop the consultation plan included extensive consultations with both private and public regional, rural and remote oral health workforce, as well as generally across the health sector. This included an oral health workforce survey which was sent out by all four peak body organisations (ADASA, ADOHTA, DHAA and ADPA) and SA Dental and multiple face-to-face and online consultation sessions involving key stakeholders across South Australia.

The SA Rural Oral Health Workforce Plan aims to contribute towards building a sustainable rural oral health workforce through delivery of the following themes and objectives:

Theme one – Building a skilled workforce

  • Objective 1a – Strengthen knowledge of oral health educational pathways for regional and rural high school students
  • Objective 1b – Strengthen regional and rural oral health advanced training opportunities for emerging and existing practitioners
  • Objective 1c – Expand pathways to provide multidisciplinary training opportunities

Theme two – Innovative and sustainable workforce models for rural oral health care

  • Objective 2a – Innovative and sustainable workforce models for existing and future oral health workforce to support viable  and sustainable service delivery
  • Objective 2b – Strategic, responsive and proactive workforce planning to ensure equitable access to oral health services

Theme three – Developing a collaborative coordinated health system

  • Objective 3a – Collaborate and integrate oral health into mainstream health care to support the sustainability of the rural workforce
  • Objective 3b – Develop culturally safe and responsive oral health services

For more information please contact Health.RuralHealthWorkforceStrategy@sa.gov.au