Key Facts:
- The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has submitted a joint response to a government consultation on private health reforms, arguing that nurses and midwives – who make up 54% of Australia’s national health workforce – have been largely overlooked in the consultation paper despite their critical role in healthcare delivery.
- ACN warns that failure to recognise the potential of nurses and midwives will result in outdated models of care being embedded in policy, and that incorporating advanced nursing and midwifery practice into private healthcare would improve access, quality, continuity and affordability for consumers.
- Among ACN’s recommendations is that the Department explore nurse practitioner-led mental health services in the private sector, noting a 40% growth in nurse practitioners working in mental health over the five years to 2025, and that Medicare Benefits Schedule items be amended so private in-hospital patients can access a 75% Medicare rebate for nurse practitioner services.
- ACN highlights that nurses play a leading or essential role in all three Hospital in the Home services under initial consideration – intravenous infusions, complex wound care and palliative care – and are integrated into 99% of public Hospital in the Home services, yet their contribution is barely acknowledged in the proposed reforms.
- ACN stresses that funding and regulatory barriers, including limited Medicare and private health insurance access, must be addressed to allow nurses and nurse practitioners to work to their full scope of practice, which is essential for achieving genuine long-term reform and sustainability in Australia’s private healthcare system.
Nurses’ essential role in health service delivery must be better incorporated into the private healthcare system if it is to be a contemporary, high-quality and sustainable part of Australia’s healthcare landscape, says the Australian College of Nursing (ACN), in a joint submission with the Australian College of Midwives to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s consultation on private health reforms.
Nurses are Australia’s largest health profession, making up 54% of the national health workforce with more than 530,000 registered, and more than half of all private hospital staff. Yet the consultation paper gives limited attention to nurses and midwives.
“This is an extraordinary oversight, given the paper’s focus on contemporary models of care,” said ACN Chief Executive Officer Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz FACN.
“The Department will bake in outdated models of care that no longer meet the needs of Australians should it fail to recognise the potential of nurses and midwives in any policy recommendations that arise from this process.
“Incorporating advanced nursing and midwifery care in the private healthcare system would not only deliver better outcomes and value for consumers, but would enhance access, quality, continuity and affordability of care. This is an opportunity to deliver genuine reform and long-term sustainability that cannot be missed.”
Among ACN’s recommendations is that the Department should actively explore nurse practitioner-led mental health services in the private sector, noting that the number of nurse practitioners working in mental health grew by 40% to 180 in the five years to 2025.
It suggests amending nurse practitioner Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items so that nurse practitioner services provided to private patients in hospital attract the 75% Medicare rebate that applies to in-hospital services.
ACN also notes that the three services in the initial tranche of Hospital in the Home services under consideration – intravenous infusions, complex wound care and palliative care – are all areas where nurses play a leading or essential role, and that nurses are integrated into 99% of public Hospital in the Home services. Yet the proposed reforms barely consider their contribution.
Funding and regulatory barriers, including limited MBS access and private health insurance arrangements, must be addressed so nurses and nurse practitioners can lead and coordinate services such as palliative care.
Reforms that better recognise nursing and midwifery expertise are important for improving access to private healthcare in Australia, said Adjunct Professor Zeitz.
“Funding alone won’t fix access – we also need reforms that let nurses and midwives work to the full extent of their education, expertise and scope of practice,” she said. “This is part and parcel of contemporary healthcare delivery, and is crucial to embedding improvements in access, affordability and sustainability for Australians.”
