In late 2024, HCA’s recruitment team established an international pathway to bring experienced emergency medicine doctors into the Australian health system, recruiting and integrating 16 internationally trained specialists, most into full-time locum roles.
Demand for experienced emergency medicine doctors has been rising across regional and metropolitan hospitals alike, with health services competing for a limited pool of specialists. Working with a public hospital in a state health network, HCA set out to solve the problem at its source: supply. The objective was a consistent, high-quality pipeline of emergency medicine specialists able to integrate seamlessly into Australian hospitals while supporting immediate service needs through locum deployment while building long-term workforce sustainability.
Client Overview
The engagement began with a public hospital in a state health network facing sustained pressure on its emergency department, and extends to health services in multiple states now drawing on the same pipeline. Like emergency departments across the country, these services needed senior clinicians with the training and experience to practise at specialist level, and a workforce partner able to deliver them reliably rather than one hire at a time.
The Challenge
Experienced emergency medicine doctors are among the hardest clinicians to secure in Australia. Shortages span both regional and metropolitan hospitals, and competition for fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) leaves many emergency departments reliant on fragile senior rosters. International recruitment offers the depth the local market cannot, but the pathway is demanding. Overseas-trained specialists must navigate ACEM equivalence assessment, AHPRA registration, credentialing and a 12-month period of supervised practice, a journey few candidates can manage alone, and one that fails without structured support. Most importantly, hospitals need reliability. Ad hoc international hires do not create a sustainable workforce. What was missing was a proactive, repeatable pipeline including specialists identified early, support through every regulatory step, and staff placed where they are needed most.
At a Glance
- 16 doctors Internationally trained emergency medicine specialists recruited and integrated
- ~7 per year Ongoing candidate pipeline secured through an exclusive international partnership
- 15 + 1 Fifteen full-time locum placements across multiple states, plus one permanent role
- 100% Compliance with AHPRA and ACEM requirements across the program
The Solution
HCA developed a structured International Doctor Pathway, anchored by an exclusive agreement with a leading overseas teaching hospital. The partnership provides early access to approximately seven emergency medicine doctors each year as they complete their specialist training.
Spotlight on Locum Career Management
On achieving ACEM equivalence, doctors transition into locum FACEM positions through HCA’s national locum program, with credentialing, travel, accommodation and payroll all managed by HCA. Hospitals gain dependable senior cover across metro, regional and remote locations; doctors gain control over when, where and how they work. Engagement begins up to a year before candidates complete their specialist diploma, with HCA guiding and supporting documentation through ACEM assessment, AHPRA registration and credentialing so each doctor arrives with a clear, compliant pathway to practice. Relocation logistics and onboarding are managed end to end, with each doctor placed into a role aligned to the 12-month supervision requirement for ACEM equivalence, proactive workforce planning that protects both candidate and health service. Fifteen of the sixteen doctors are now employed in fulltime locum positions across multiple states, providing emergency departments with experienced senior cover and each with the potential to convert to a permanent appointment as services and doctors find their long-term fit. The model is also growing. HCA has leveraged its global recruitment network, including teams across Europe, to expand sourcing capability and diversify the international talent pipelines feeding the program.
A sustainable, repeatable model that strengthens Australia’s emergency medicine workforce, one specialist at a time.
Impact
- 16 Specialists Integrated Internationally trained emergency medicine doctors recruited and integrated into the Australian workforce.
- 15 Full-Time Locum Placements Doctors deployed across multiple states, with one permanent placement and strong conversion potential.
- An Exclusive Pipeline A first-of-its-kind international partnership delivering ~7 high-calibre candidates every year.
- Full Regulatory Compliance AHPRA and ACEM requirements met across every assessment, registration and placement.
- A Repeatable Model Global sourcing capability, including teams across Europe, now feeds a growing and diversified pipeline.
Conclusion
This program shows what it takes to genuinely expand a specialist workforce. Not providing simply one-off international hires, but a designed pathway that identifies emergency medicine doctors early, carries them through every regulatory and relocation step, and deploys them where Australian hospitals need senior cover most. For health services, the result is dependable access to experienced FACEM-level clinicians through HCA’s locum program. For the doctors, it is a supported route into the Australian health system and a career managed for the long term. And for the emergency medicine workforce as a whole, it is a sustainable, repeatable source of strength.
Partner with HCA
This program shows what it takes to genuinely expand a specialist workforce. Not providing simply one-off international hires, but a designed pathway that identifies emergency medicine doctors early, carries them through every regulatory and relocation step, and deploys them where Australian hospitals need senior cover most. For health services, the result is dependable access to experienced FACEM-level clinicians through HCA’s locum program. For the doctors, it is a supported route into the Australian health system and a career managed for the long term. And for the emergency medicine workforce as a whole, it is a sustainable, repeatable source of strength. Struggling to secure senior emergency medicine cover? Talk to HCA’s doctors team about locum solutions and international workforce pathways.
