Universities Australia is the national peak body for Australia’s 39 comprehensive universities. All universities in Australia deliver at least one – and in many instances – multiple, health professional courses. Universities therefore have a keen interest in IHPA’s work given the role universities play in training our future health professional workforce and the compulsory requirement for all entry level health professionals to undertake clinical training, the majority of which occurs in public hospitals.

Universities Australia’s response to the questions posed in IHPA’s consultation paper are provided below. Responses have been developed in close consultation with Universities Australia’s Health Education Workforce Group and Health Professions Education Standing Group, the latter of which includes representation from councils of deans of most professional health disciplines, all of whom have extensive clinical knowledge and experience as well as a deep understanding of the education and training needs of their respective health professional disciplines. Universities Australia also values the opportunity to contribute to this important work through its membership of IHPA’s Teaching, Training and Research Working Group.