Leading nursing and midwifery organisations will gather at Parliament House today with a united call for the Federal Government to address the unprecedented strain on the healthcare system by acting on review recommendations to let nurses and midwives care for people using all their skills and knowledge. Nearly one-third of primary health care nurses are…
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (Anmac) are pleased to announce a joint initiative to better improve the career outcomes of the 40% of Australia’s nurses who are internationally qualified or overseas born. The organisations have agreed to share resources to progress research designed to improve career outcomes for internationally qualified…
Twelve national organisations are calling for immediate reform to Medicare and pharmaceutical policy settings that are delaying diagnosis, fragmenting care and driving avoidable hospital admissions in the bush. The peak bodies representing nurses, nurse practitioners, endorsed midwives, and midwives, together with health system experts, have written jointly to the Senate Standing Committees on Rural and…
The Australian College of Nursing is calling on the federal government to make urgent changes to ensure equitable access to primary care for the millions of Australians living outside major cities. In a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport, ACN argues that Medicare’s current structure is not fit…
An evaluation report of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs) provides promising evidence that the clinics achieve their desired objective of providing care for illnesses and injuries that are urgent, but not life-threatening, and reduce expensive visits to hospital emergency departments. ACN CEO, Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz FACN, said the evaluation report, by the Department of…
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) welcomes the Prime Minister’s $8 billion plan to cut out-of-pocket health care costs for consumers, but says it is only a short-term fix to the problems plaguing the health care sector. “Nurses see first-hand how poor access to timely primary health care can lead to more serious conditions that…
Accessibility remains a cornerstone of equitable healthcare service delivery in Australia, representing the very foundation upon which Medicare was built. Registered nurses (RNs) stand as frontline advocates to provide accessible and equitable health care. However, the extent of their impact hinges greatly on the support and funding of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). Amidst this…
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) today welcomes the Federal Government’s commitment to overhaul Medicare to better address Australia’s health needs and expand the scope of primary care nurses. “I welcome today’s news that nurses look set to play a key role in funding reforms to Medicare,” ACN CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN said.…
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has welcomed news the Australian Labor Party (ALP) would commit $750 million over four years to strengthen Medicare and $220 million on local general practices to strengthen the Primary Care 10 Year Plan. ACN chief executive officer Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN noted that the pledge was the first…