Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, has described the current Medicare system as being in the worst shape it’s ever been in 40 years.

This claim, prompted by a six year period of frozen Medicare rebates that have caused climbing gap fees, long waiting periods and stressed emergency departments, has led to concrete plans to ‘overhaul’ the current system - and nurses, in particular, are cheering. 

“For too long, Medicare has failed to properly use and recognise the expert skills of nurses, Australia’s largest health profession, a move that has placed the health of Australians at great risk,” said the Australian College of Nursing’s CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN.

The government is currently eagerly awaiting a final report from the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce that began work in July 2022 to provide concrete recommendations to improve patient access to general practice and to nursing and allied health, to make primary healthcare more affordable and to relieve pressure on hospitals.

Expanding the scope of primary care nurses is a particularly strategic objective that the Taskforce has outlined in order to relieve pressure from hospitals and to ensure quality access to healthcare in rural and regional areas. 

“I’m very clear that there is much more that nurses in primary care - practice nurses and nurse practitioners, for that matter - can do. That they want to do, they have the skills and training to do, that our current MBS system is not letting them do that well,” said Mr Butler. 

The Australian College of Nursing has welcomed the Minister’s news.

“I welcome the news that nurses look set to play a key role in funding reforms to Medicare,” said Professor Ward.

“All Australians, regardless of their postcode, deserve access to the highly-skilled health care we provide.

“Nurses are at the front lines of care and are often the first point of contact for those entering the health system – yet for too long we have been unable to work to our full scope of practice. 

“Nurses are hiding in plain sight as the solution to addressing rural and remote health care shortages, and we look forward to seeing further details about the reforms,” said Professor Ward.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) have also welcomed the federal government’s  plans.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said efforts to expand the roles of nurses and midwives to their full clinical scope and create new opportunities would be well received, given the workforce challenges over recent years. 

“We have long been calling for practical solutions at the national level to address some of the constraints impacting nursing and midwifery professionals,” said Ms Candish. 

In particular, Ms Candish believes a widened role for nurses and midwives would be highly beneficial for rural and regional areas.

“Expanding the scope of nurses and midwives would also help to provide better access to healthcare across communities, particularly in rural and regional areas where access has become increasingly challenging,” she said.

“From the role of highly skilled Nurse Practitioners to the models of care delivered by midwives, there is plenty of room for expanded scope to complement the delivery of healthcare and improve accessibility for patients. 

“We are seeing birthing services across NSW scaled back due to a lack of qualified staff. If midwives were able to practice within their full scope in community and primary care settings, there would be a greater incentive for midwives to work in regional, rural and remote areas. This would reduce the amount of travel necessary for women to receive care and advice. 

“These are practical solutions and we’re hopeful the federal government seizes this opportunity. Our communities need quality holistic care and nurses and midwives are well placed to provide this at scale in a sustainable way. 

“We look forward to seeing the contents of the upcoming report by the Taskforce and any collaborations that will follow.”

The Strengthening Medicare Taskforce are expected to deliver a full report in the next couple of weeks.