Children and families across New South Wales are set to benefit from significantly improved access to essential health services following the recruitment of 32 new paediatric allied health professionals under the NSW Government’s $17.9 million investment.
The new roles, spread across 15 local health districts and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, include speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers, and dietitians. The expansion forms a key part of the government’s $130.9 million Family Start Package, announced in the 2024–2025 NSW Budget, to improve child health and wellbeing outcomes.
Health Minister Ryan Park said the government’s commitment centres on ensuring families can access support closer to home. “We are committed to ensuring children across the state have access to the right care, at the right time, close to home,” he said, describing the workforce increase as “one of the most significant investments in paediatric allied health we’ve seen in NSW.”
The additional staff – working across both community and hospital settings – are already helping to reduce wait times for assessments, diagnosis, and therapy. This is particularly significant for rural and remote communities, where access to paediatric services has long been uneven. Park said the government’s approach is aimed at building a fairer, more responsive system. “By embedding more allied health professionals in our hospitals and community health centres, we are building a more responsive and equitable health system.”
The minister also contrasted the government’s strategy with that of the previous administration, stating: “The Liberals capped wages for health workers, planned to sack over 1,100 nurses, and refused to implement safe staffing.”
He added that the current government is taking the opposite approach: “We are recruiting more staff and investing more in health than any other time in our state’s history, so everyone can access the care they need and deserve.”
The Family Start Package also includes targeted investments such as $2.3 million for Royal Far West’s Paediatric Developmental Program, and $45.5 million to establish Australia’s first Aboriginal-owned and midwifery-led freestanding birth centre and community hub in Nowra.
Further commitments in the 2025–2026 NSW Budget strengthen this focus, with more than $83 million allocated to maternity care, family care centres and vaccination programs, covering expanded midwifery continuity-of-care models, antenatal education, and free vaccinations for pregnant women.
Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes AM said the additional staff will have a meaningful effect on access to care. “These additional Allied Health professionals will go a long way in improving access to care for children across our state. It’s heartening to know their impact will be complemented by the HSU Award Reform program that will support enhanced scope of practice for Allied Health professionals.”
He also commended the government’s broader commitment to strengthening the allied health sector. “We commend the state government’s commitment to expand the Allied Health workforce and strengthen it by supporting Allied Health professionals reforms that promote recognition of enhanced skills and structures that enable positive patient outcomes.”
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