Health Care & Social Assistance
Health Care and Social Assistance is the second largest employing sector in the Armidale Region and produces the third largest export value. Value added and exports have grown faster than the regional NSW average in recent years led by growth in Social Assistance Services.
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$248 million
contribution to local output
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2,427
jobs supported
164
local businesses
$176 million
value generated in the region
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$54 million
exports to extrenal markets
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1 in 5
residents aged >65
A MAJOR LOCAL INDUSTRY
- • Health Care and Social Assistance Services is a strong provider of wealth in the Armidale Region. Its share of output and value added in 2018/19 was well above the regional NSW average.
• It is the third largest generator of exports for the Region, and its share of total exports in 2018/19 was 45% above the regional NSW average.
• More than 16% of the workers in Armidale Region work in the Health Care and Social Assistance Sector.
"Armidale Hospital recently underwent a major $62 million redevelopment which included adding new Emergency and Surgical Departments, and new facilities for staff and patients"
"The modern UNE Medical Centre provides state-of-the-art medical teaching facilities and opportunities for students to develop skills while serving the community"
RECENT GROWTH
- • Health Care and Social Assistance has averaged 5.3% p.a. growth in value added over the last decade, and the last three years has seen even stronger increases especially in Social Assistance Services.
• Exports in the sector have grown well above the regional NSW average.
• Health Care and Social Assistance jobs have grown by 4.5% p.a. over the decade, and recent jobs growth has averaged 6.2% p.a., well above the regional NSW average.
KEY SUB-INDUSTRIES
- • Social Assistance Services is the largest contributor within the Sector, generating $63M in value added in 2018/19, or 36% of the total.
• The largest numbers of businesses are in General Practice Medical Services (58 in 2019), and Other Social Assistance Services (20 in 2019).
"In 2018, a dedicated Headspace centre was opened in Armidale offering specialist mental health services for young people aged 12 to 25 years"
"Aged and disability care services have experienced some of the largest growth in employment in recent years"
AGEING POPULATION
- • The population in Armidale and surrounding regions is ageing. In 2018, one in every five residents was 65 years or older.
• The share of residents in this age bracket grew by a whole percentage point in just four years.
• An ageing population that lives longer will see increased demand for health and social assistance services in a key service centre like Armidale.
WORKFORCE CHARACTERISTICS
44
years
old
24%
76%
Median
Age
Male
Female
(45 years)
(20%)
(80%)
Source: ABS Census, 2016;
(Regional NSW)
19%
Born o/s
(17%)
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41%
8%
Degree Educated
Owner-Manager
(37%)
(8%)
46%
Full-Time
(48%)
$47,026
Median
Income
($47,840)
- In 2016:
• Armidale Region workers were slightly younger, more likely to be male and more likely to be born overseas than the regional NSW average.
• A higher share of workers were degree educated.
• An equivalent share of workers to the regional average managed their own business.
• Workers were slightly less likely to be working full-time than the regional NSW average and were earning marginally lower median incomes.
Armidale Rural Referral Hospital
Armidale's public hospital is part of the Hunter New England Local Health District. A new four-story building opened in 2018 providing extra facilities that include a new:
- Emergency Department,
- Medical Inpatient ward,
- Intensive Care Unit,
- Surgical Department, and
- Central Sterilising Department.
