OSCA occupation

OSCA 442532: Patient Services Assistant

Assists with the provision of care to patients in a hospital by ensuring wards are neat and tidy, lifting and turning patients, transporting them in wheelchairs or on movable beds, and providing direct care and support. This record sits in Patient Care and Patient Services Assistants. Related ANZSIC industry links are included for faster classification cross-checking. Skill level 4 is attached to this occupation record.

Should you use OSCA or ANZSCO?

OSCA 2024 is the current Australian occupation classification for storing, organising and reporting occupation information. Use this OSCA record for current Australian statistical and analytical classification work.

Some migration and administrative programs still specify ANZSCO 2022. Check the exact system named by the agency or form rather than replacing the code automatically.

Check the current ABS guidance on OSCA and ANZSCO use

Official ANZSCO correspondence

Role overview

Assists with the provision of care to patients in a hospital by ensuring wards are neat and tidy, lifting and turning patients, transporting them in wheelchairs or on movable beds, and providing direct care and support.

Use this page to confirm the official title, the parent unit group, the task list and the related ANZSIC industry context before using the occupation in classification, reporting or migration-adjacent workflows.

Occupation facts

Skill level
4
Major group
4 Community and Personal Service Workers
Sub-major group
44 Health Support Workers and Assistants
Minor group
442 Patient and Health Care Assistants
Unit group
4425 Patient Care and Patient Services Assistants

Tasks

  • Transports patients in wheelchairs or mobile beds
  • Provides safe patient handling and positioning in beds and transfers to and from beds
  • Undertakes general duties, ensuring hospital wards are clean, orderly and sanitised, maintaining infection control protocols
  • Provides direct care and support to patients, assisting with their personal needs such as showering and dressing
  • Stocks and replenishes supplies of medical equipment, and transfers items between departments or wards
  • Assists with the preparation and serving of patients' meals and beverages

Skill level guidance

Skill level helps place the occupation inside the ABS hierarchy. Use it as a classification cue, then check the actual task list and occupational context before making a decision for HR, visa or reporting work.

How to use this occupation page

Start with the official OSCA title and task list. Then confirm the parent unit group and compare the related occupations on this page if the job title is broad, overlapping or used differently across employers.

The ANZSIC links are there to help when the same occupation appears across several industries and you need the business-side classification as well.

Compare before choosing

Compare OSCA 442532 with related occupations

Compare roles in the same OSCA unit group by their official definition, skill level, tasks and recognised alternative titles.

Comparison pointCurrent code442532 Patient Services Assistant442531 Patient Care Assistant
Official role definitionAssists with the provision of care to patients in a hospital by ensuring wards are neat and tidy, lifting and turning patients, transporting them in wheelchairs or on movable beds, and providing direct care and support.Provides general assistance, emotional support and personal care services to patients in a health care facility.
Skill levelSkill Level 4Skill Level 4
Key tasks
  • Transports patients in wheelchairs or mobile beds
  • Provides safe patient handling and positioning in beds and transfers to and from beds
  • Undertakes general duties, ensuring hospital wards are clean, orderly and sanitised, maintaining infection control protocols
  • Provides direct care and support to patients, assisting with their personal needs such as showering and dressing
  • Assists with personal care needs such as showering, dressing, eating, mobility and communication
  • Negotiates with individuals and families regarding the acceptance of care provided
  • Participates in care planning
  • Supports a multidisciplinary team to adhere to health plans as directed by health care professionals
Alternative titles
  • Hospital Orderly
  • Orderly
  • Patient Support Assistant
  • Theatre Orderly
  • Health Care Assistant
  • Health Care Worker
  • Personal Care Assistant (Health)

Comparison uses occupation definitions, skill levels, tasks and title variants from the ABS OSCA data files.

Compliance risk score

4 of 4 factors passing

10 / 10
Verified official source
- ABS OSCA occupation record present
Previous edition migration
- OSCA to ANZSCO correspondence attached
Complete hierarchy
- Major, sub-major, minor and unit group links are present
Legacy crosswalk
- Legacy ANZSCO correspondence attached

How we calculate this score →

In this section

442531 Patient Care Assistant442532 Patient Services Assistant

Frequently asked questions

What does OSCA 442532 do?

Patient Services Assistant is the current ABS occupation record used to describe a specific occupation. It sits in the OSCA hierarchy and carries skill-level context plus related titles and tasks.

How should I read the skill level?

The skill level tells you the educational or training depth that the ABS associates with the occupation. It is a classification signal, not a salary band or a qualification checklist on its own.

Why is industry context shown on an occupation page?

Industry context helps when the title is common or ambiguous. It shows where the occupation is typically employed so you can compare it with the right ANZSIC family.

Source and trust

Official source
ABS OSCA 2024 release and correspondence tables
Last reviewed
2026-04-17

This site is an independent reference resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the ABS, ATO or any Australian Government agency.

Please verify critical classification decisions with the official authority before using them for tax, payroll, licensing, immigration or compliance work.

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