Making Primary Health Care Work…together

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 16 Jun 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Australia's peak nursing and midwifery groups will host a roundtable at Parliament House in Canberra today bringing nurses, midwives, doctors and the Government together to discuss community health services that better meet the needs of all Australians and that will take pressure off our over-burdened public hospitals.

The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN), Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP), Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA), CRANAplus (the professional body for remote and isolated practice) and Royal College of Nursing, Australia (RCNA) say they are hosting the roundtable with the aim of inviting key medical groups to work together on the way forward for primary health care services in Australia.

Helen Gosby ACNP President said that, although welcome, federal budget initiatives giving people receiving care from nurse practitioners and eligible midwives access to rebates through the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) are only an interim measure. Broader reform in primary health care policy is the ultimate goal.

"Pressure and demands on hospitals and emergency departments will continue to increase unless governments act now to give Australians access to safe, timely and accessible primary health care in their communities," she said.

Primary health care from the appropriate professional such as a nurse, midwife, physiotherapist or a doctor is essential if people are to be able to access effective and well targeted community health programs. Health promotion, prevention and management of illness and injury are all important to keep people out of hospital. A robust primary health care system is the best way to help those with chronic conditions to remain in control of their own health care and lives.

Nursing and midwifery representatives say they hope the day will result in a practical plan involving all professional groups making primary health care reform work - together.

The roundtable will take place from 10am to 3pm in Committee Room 1S4 followed by a press conference in the Senate courtyard at 3:30pm.

Participating bodies:

- Office of the Honourable Nicola Roxon MP
- Department of Health and Ageing
- Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer
- Australia & New Zealand Council of Chief Nursing Officers
- National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
- National Primary Health Care Strategy Secretariat
- Australian College of Nurse Practitioners
- Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Association
- Australian College of Midwives
- Australian Nursing Federation
- Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council
- Australian Practice Nurses Association
- College of Nursing
- Congress of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Nurses
- Council of Deans of Nursing & Midwifery
- Royal College of Nursing Australia
- Royal District Nursing Service
- Australian General Practice Network
- Australian Medical Association
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Rural Doctors Association of Australia
- Consumers Health Forum of Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health
- Public Health Association of Australia

The ANF, with 170,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in Australia.

Source
Australian Nursing Federation