Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences - ACDHS
The Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences (ACDHS) is the peak representative organisation f
ACDHS is a forum for representation, coordination, and information sharing, and aims to strengthen the education and training of allied health practitioners in Australia to meet the needs of their communities. ACDHS is a collective of the Australian universities that provide pre-professional education in the allied health sciences. Membership requires that a minimum of three of the following disciplines are taught and accredited:
• Audiology
• Clinical exercise physiology / sport and exercise science
• Medical laboratory science
• Nutrition and dietetics
• Occupational therapy
• Optometry
• Orthoptics
• Paramedicine
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Prosthetics and orthotics
• Psychology
• Medical radiation science
• Social work
• Speech pathology
Member Institutions are represented by 1-2 person(s) who hold a position of senior leadership in health science faculties/colleges and have the strategic responsibility for allied health professionals (AHPs) within the institution (e.g. Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dean or Associate Dean or other similar title), or hold a senior executive/director role in health science faculties/colleges.
29/10/2025
Strengthening Multidisciplinary Primary Care
A landmark national collaboration is underway to shape the future of multidisciplinary primary care in Australia.
Led by Professor Michael Kidd AO at UNSW’s International Centre for Future Health Systems, the National Multidisciplinary Primary Care Research, Policy and Advocacy Consortium brings together leading researchers, clinicians, and over 30 national peak bodies - including ACDHS - to drive evidence-based reform and stronger, more connected models of care.
Celebrating World Occupational Therapy Day - 27 October
Today we celebrate the remarkable work of Occupational Therapists across Australia and around the world.
Occupational therapy empowers people of all ages to live meaningful, independent lives - supporting recovery, participation, and wellbeing through person-centered care.
At ACDHS, we acknowledge and thank occupational therapy educators, researchers, and practitioners who are shaping the next generation of allied health professionals. Your contributions are essential to building a healthier, more inclusive Australia.
23/07/2025
SUPPORTING THE FUTURE ALLIED HEALTH WORKFORCE: ACDHS CALLS FOR PRAC PAYMENT SUPPORT
The Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences (ACDHS) is urging the Commonwealth Government to expand the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) scheme to include all allied health professional courses - an essential step in addressing workforce shortages and placement poverty across the sector.
Practical placements are vital to allied health training, yet thousands of students are forced to forgo part-time jobs to complete mandatory placement hours - often exceeding 1000 hours.
“The CPP recognises the link between financial security and successful completion of care-sector courses. It’s time allied health students were included,” says ACDHS Chair, Professor Terry Haines.
Backed by a new report, A call for the inclusion of allied health professions in the Commonwealth Prac Payment program, ACDHS is advocating for a principles-based and inclusion of all allied health students.
We're ready to work with Ministers Jason Clare and Mark Butler, along with sector stakeholders, to make sure no student is left behind - and that every community has access to the care people need.
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As educators of allied health professionals, ACDHS sits at the nexus between health and education. As such, members are well placed to provide insights on the demands our future health workforce will face, and opportunities to improve the efficacy of their practice and the sustainability of the systems they will work in.
ACDHS is a forum for representation, coordination, and information sharing, and aims to strengthen the education and training of allied health practitioners in Australia to meet the needs of their communities.
ACDHS is a collective of the Australian universities that provide pre-professional education in the allied health sciences. Membership requires that a minimum of three of the following disciplines are taught and accredited:
· Audiology
· Clinical exercise physiology / sport and exercise science
· Medical laboratory science
· Nutrition and dietetics
· Occupational therapy
· Optometry
· Orthoptics
· Paramedicine
· Pharmacy
· Physiotherapy
· Podiatry
· Prosthetics and orthotics
· Psychology
· Medical radiation science
· Social work
· Speech pathology
Member Institutions are represented by 1-2 person(s) who hold a position of senior leadership in health science faculties/colleges and have the strategic responsibility for allied health professionals (AHPs) within the institution (e.g. Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dean or Associate Dean or other similar title), or hold a senior executive/director role in health science faculties/colleges.
