Media Release

29 September 2005

First go is a good start for the Productivity Commission

While having limited time to review the whole report, the Australian Nursing Federation is pleased to see some sensible recommendations included in the Productivity Commission's draft report into the health workforce.

Increasing the number of education and training places is critical for an effective workforce in the future.

'The ANF has been calling on governments for many years to implement a systematic approach to decision-making about the number and the distribution of nursing places and the Productivity Commission's suggestion about an advisory health workforce education and training council would be an important step forward,' Jill Iliffe, ANF Federal Secretary, said.

An independent review body looking at MBS items and referral and prescribing rules is another proposal supported by the ANF. 'Nurses in general practice and nurse practitioners are increasingly showing they have an important place in primary health care and that their practice complements that of general practitioners but the system must be there to reward them for the nursing services provided,' Ms Iliffe said.

Nursing already has an effective registration system and the ANF does not support any proposed solutions to address problems found with other systems of registration for health care professionals which would negatively impact on nursing registration. Nursing models to develop national competency standards, accredit nursing education programs, provide mutual recognition to enhance nurses' mobility, and assess overseas trained health professionals could be used as an effective model on which to base other registration systems.

'Health care professionals are licensed to protect the health and safety of the public and we cannot afford to downgrade the system because some flaws have been identified. This is the time to learn from mistakes and enhance the system so that the public continues to be generally protected. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater is never the answer,' Ms Iliffe said.

Change is needed so that there is an effective health workforce in Australia for the future. Nurses are an important part of that effective health workforce and the ANF welcomes recommendations from the Productivity Commission that support nurses to achieve their full potential in providing health care to the Australian community.


The ANF, representing 145,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses in Australia.

Media inquiries:

Jill Iliffe, ANF Federal Secretary: 0419 576 590
Victoria Gilmore, Federal Professional Officer: 0409 221 699