The industrial and professional organisation for nurses and midwives in Australia
Canberra Office (Professional Services)
Unit 3, 28 Eyre Street Kingston ACT 2604
Australia
PO Box 4239 Kingston ACT 2604 Australia
+ 61 2 6232 6533 (T) + 61 2 6232 6610 (F)
anfcanberra@anf.org.au
Melbourne Office (Industrial Services)
Level 1, 365 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
+ 61 3 9602 8500 (T) + 61 3 9602 8567 (F)
industrial@anf.org.au
anfmelbourne@anf.org.au
ANF Journals
Australian Nursing Journal
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing
anj@anf.org.au ajan@anf.org.au
ABN 41 816 898 298
media release
14 August 2009
Extend “healthy kids” checks to Child and Maternal Health – ANF
The federal government’s “healthy kids” checks should be carried out by
nurses at Child and Maternal Health centres, following reports that the
program is currently failing targets.
Australian Nursing Federation federal secretary Ged Kearney said restricting
the checks to general practice may be one of the reasons the program has not
been taken up more widely.
“We know that general practice is already under enormous strain. If the
funding for “healthy kids” checks were extended to Maternal and Child Health
centres more children would undoubtedly benefit from the program,” Ms
Kearney said.
“Midwives and nurses form trusting relationships and continuity of care from
birth to school age through these local centres and parents would feel more
comfortable visiting nurses and midwives with their children.”
The ANF applauds the federal government’s efforts to improve the health of
Australian children through the program and will urge the Minister for Health,
Nicola Roxon, to consider providing some of the unspent funds for the last
financial year to Maternal and Child Health centres.
Media inquiries
Ged Kearney, Federal Secretary
0417 053 322
Lee Thomas, Assistant Federal Secretary
0419 576 590
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