http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/10/2269501.htm
Nurses ask for greater role in primary health
A nurse clasps the hand of a patient in a hospital. (ABC News: Giulio Saggin)
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The Australian Nursing Federation has called for a complete overhaul of how primary health services are funded and delivered.
The federation has told the Federal Government’s Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, nurses in GP clinics need greater powers to treat patients.
The federation’s secretary Ged Kearney says nurses are under-utilised and could play a greater role in primary health.
“We do know that there are a lot more nurses working out in primary healthcare at the moment who can provide very good safe and efficient healthcare, but there’s some very large barriers stopping them from doing so.”
She says it would also make sense to change Medicare rules so that patients of all health professionals get subsidies.
“I think it would have enormous benefits,” she said.
“It seems to us that access is one of the major problems.
“People just can’t get into their GP, they can’t get in to see doctors at the moment, so let’s use the rest of the health workforce we know can do it safely and efficiently.”
