The Labor Government has handed down its first budget this week. There were no real surprises with many of the spending measures going towards election promises.

The Government introduced cost of living support measures including increases to paid parental leave and improvements to childcare affordability.

Aged Care reforms discussed in these updates previously were also funded. The relevant Bill passed the Senate yesterday. ADIA continues to advocate for improvements to oral health services in Residential Aged Care.

There was no extension of the Temporary Full Expensing provision. This measure is due to finish 30 June 2023.

ADIA will now begin work on a pre-budget submission for 2023-2024. Members are invited to provide comments or feedback for the submission here.

If you have any questions, or suggestions for ADX, please don't hesitate to contact me by email.

  2022 Australian Dental and Health Services figures now available

In the lead up to the Federal Government's first budget, there has been much media attention on inflation, skills shortages in healthcare, and the cost of doing business in Australia.

It is with this focus I am pleased to provide you with the latest Dental and Health Services in Australia Report, which uses key data to benchmark the provision of dental services in Australia against the wider health sector. 

Dental and Health Services in Australia Report 2022

Featuring data sourced from IBISWorld as well as the Dental Board of Australia and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, this report provides key statistics about dental and health services in Australia.

The 2022 edition shows:

• Revenue in dental services up to $10.6 billion with a profit of 26.8%
• Revenue in the wider health services sector of $197.8 billion with a profit of 10.9%
• A slight fall in private health policy holders has constrained growth
• A growth rate of 1.4% in dental services

2022 Skills Priority List released

In the weeks since the Australian Jobs and Skills Summit, solutions to the skills and labour shortages including immigration and funding for training and education have been highlighted. Last week the National Skills Commission released the 2022 Skills Priority List, in which dental professionals and the wider health sector featured quite prominently. 

The report shows:

• Overall, 286 occupations were listed as having national shortages, up from 153 in 2021
• An increase in the national shortage in professional occupations from 19% in 2021 (1 in 5) to 39% (2 in 5) in 2022 (see page 10)
• The increase in professional occupations shortage was largely driven by health professionals (see page 17)
• Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Dental Prosthetists, Dental Technicians and Dental Therapists were all added to the Skills Priority List in 2022
• Dental Assistants were on the list in both 2021 and 2022

We will keep you up to date regarding any discussion on national skills shortages as it relates to the dental industry via these updates.

ADX Series Update

With two weeks to go, there are now more than 3,700 registrations for our first ADX event in Brisbane. We are expecting a great show and look forward to welcoming you all on the 27th of October. 

Looking ahead, I am pleased to report that exhibition booths for ADX Melbourne (30 March - 1 April 2023) are sold out. If you have missed out and would like to join the waiting list, you can do so here.

Please save the date for ADX Sydney 2024 - to be held at the  International Convention Centre Sydney, Thursday 21 - Saturday 23 March 2024.

If there is a topic you wish to see covered in these updates, or feedback you would like to provide, please don't hesitate to contact by email.