5
October 2004
Nurses support a universal health system
Nurses
showed, in a recent survey, resounding support for Medicare,
with almost 95% saying they agreed with the universal principal
of Medicare, and more than 80% wanting access to bulk-billing.
Almost 90% of nurses surveyed said they would support a small
increase in the scheduled fee for consultations so all GPs could
bulk-bill, and 77% said they would pay a slightly higher Medicare
levy if the money went to public hospitals.
Seventy-four per cent considered the $2.4 billion per year spent
on the private health insurance rebate would be better spent
on improving public health services, and over 90% supported health
reform.
The surveys on health and nursing issues were conducted through
the Australian Nursing Journal and the journals of the NSW Nurses'
Association and Queensland Nurses Union in July and August.
ANF Federal Secretary Jill Iliffe said nurses knew the health
system inside out and were well placed to judge where reform
was needed.
'Health is too important to be used as a political football between
the federal, state and territory governments and the public and
private sector,' Ms Iliffe said.
'The establishment of a health reform council or commission,
even if for a limited time as the ALP suggests, would allow Australia
to look at its total health needs - prevention, acute, rehabilitation,
aged care, palliative care, mental health etc - from a national
perspective, and provide the necessary funding for services,
regardless of whether they are in the public or private sector.
'It would also allow clinicians as well as bureaucrats and politicians
to have input into decisions about health care and health funding.'
The surveys also showed 95% of nurses supporting the establishment
of a principal nurse advisor at federal government level and
over 90% saying a federal government should increase undergraduate
nursing places by at least 1,100 places each year and extend
the nursing scholarship program to urban areas.
View survey
results
(PDF)
The Australian Nursing Federation will be at the ACTU health
media conference at 10.30am Wednesday 6 October, at the emergency
department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Sydney.
At the conference the ANF will have 'Helping Hand' postcards,
that over 10,000 nurses signed, for delivery to the Prime Minister.
After the media conference ANF representatives will deliver the
postcards to John Howard's electorate office, 230 Victoria Road,
Gladesville, Sydney, to provide him with a helping hand for health.
Media inquiries:
Jill Iliffe, ANF Federal Secretary 0419 576 590
Ged Cowin, ANF Assistant Federal Secretary 0417 053 322
Heather Witham, ANF Federal Communications Officer 0417 359 907
The ANF, representing 140,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses in Australia.