the hon nicola roxon mp minister for health and ageing - APNA

The new arrangements will also include support a rural loading based on AustralianStandard Geographical Classification - Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) and a one-off $5,000incentive to support eligible non-accredited practices to become accredited.3. Is your party supportive of flexible funding models in general practice, which allowsnurses to provide a range of clinical services?Yes we are. In addition to the Practice Nurse lncentive Package, another good example isthe Diabetes lncentive Package also announced in the recent May Budget This package willinvest $436 million in coordinated care for people living with diabetes so that people withdiabetes can be offered the option of signing up with a general practice of their choice. Thepractice will become responsible for managing their care, including and be paid, in part, onthe basis of their performance in keeping their patients healthy and out of hospital.This way of funding care for diabetes means that practices are provided with the flexibilityto ensure that the person with diabetes is provided with the range of care they need- fromthe range of primary care health professionals that are best placed to deliver it. The fundingwill allow nurses to play a critical but flexible role in managing patients with diabetes whichmay include group education sessions, telephone consultations, alongside nurse leddiabetes clinics.4. Does your party support equitable leadership and governance opportunities fornurses in key decision making bodies e.g. Medicare Locals or General PracticeNetworks, as well as at national committee levels?We were the first national government to appoint a Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer torepresent and speak for nurses and midwives nationally. This is evidence of the value weplace on nursing input into our health system delivery and design.Yes, we will expect the governing bodies of Medicare Locals to include people with clinicalexpertise that reflects the broad health professions that work within the primary caresystem. We will also expect them to have strong linkages with universities, other trainingproviders and Local Hospital Networks.5. What is your party's plan for recruiting and retaining nursing in primary health care;Do you support development of a career path for nurses from novice to nursepractitioner?The ALP has continued to support access for nurses to professional development throughthe National Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship Scheme providing over 500 scholarshipsin the last financial year alone specifically for nurses working in general practice.The ALP is determined to increase the number of training opportunities which will support the longtermsustainability of the nation's health workforce. The establishment of Australial;s firstNational Health Workforce body, Health Workforce Australia, will help to drive theseopportunities and ensure that health professionals are provided with training opportunitiesin settings that the community needs them- like general practice.

To date we have provided $191 million funding for around 150 clinical training initiativesaround Australia to expand the clinical training capacity for nursing, medical and alliedhealth students. We have paid particular attention to ensuring that these investmentsexpand the clinical training opportunities beyond the hospital walls to areas like communitynursing and general practice nursing. Our GP super clinics program is a good example ofthe way our policies are setting up the infrastrucuture that will allow more practice nursetraining opportunities.6. How would your party support expansion to and recognition of scope of practice fornurses e.g. access to professional development, development of a credentialingframework, support of a research agenda, development of models of nurse ledcare?We are pleased that nursing as a career now offers far greater diversity than was possible in the past-and the current health care reform agenda is a chance to make changes that will enhance thedelivery of services to the community.Through our reforms to date we are supporting nurses at all levels of their careers, and providingtraining opportunities for career development. For example, our aged care nursing package issupporting assistants in nursing to up skill to Division 2 nurses and enrolled nurses to up skill toDivision 1 nurses.Nurse practitioners are already an important part of our health care system - but they have thepotential to be even more significant. Our scholarships and reforms to the MBS and PBS aresupporting the expansion of this important part of the nursing profession.7. How does your party intend to address the poor employment conditions for nursesin general practice through industrial relations or quality improvement framework?The Commonwealth will take full funding and policy responsibility for primary health careservices.Our health reforms will be implemented to ensure there will be no detrimental effect onnurses' wages and entitlements. From 2011-12, the Commonwealth will commence fundingthose primary health care programs currently funded and provided by states andterritories.An overriding principle will be to minimise disruption to staff and patients.We have consistently demonstrated our commitment to consulting with all healthprofessionals and look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with APNA in thefuture.Durs SincerelyNicola RoxonMinister for health and Ageingl l AUG 2010