Media Release: 14 October 2009

ANF calls for long term health care strategy

The Australian Nursing Federation today called for a long term health care strategy to address the pressure on public hospitals, in response to the AMA’s report card on public hospitals.

ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney said that nurses are feeling the pressure and stress of working in a health care system that has been chronically under-resourced.

“Certainly there is a need for resources to take the immediate pressure off and make the system more manageable and we would welcome a short term injection of funds.”

Ms Kearney said a longer term strategy is needed to keep people out of hospital and healthy in the community. “The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission and Preventative Health Taskforce have both largely recommended a focus on primary health care and preventative health.”

This is why the ANF supports the legislation before the Senate that will improve public access to health care services by allowing patients of nurse practitioners and eligible midwives to claim rebates under the PBS and MBS, Ms Kearney said.

“Secondly, we need to fix the aged care system so that older people who take up the majority of bed days can stay healthy in the community and nursing homes.”

For more information, visit www.becausewecare.org.au

Media Contacts
Ged Kearney, ANF Federal Secretary, 0417 053 322
Lee Thomas, ANF Assistant Federal Secretary, 0419 576 590

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