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 October 2009
ANF CALLS FOR LONG TERM HEALTH 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.”
Media inquiries
Ged Kearney, Federal Secretary
0417 053 322
Lee Thomas, Assistant Federal Secretary
0419 576 590
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