The industrial and professional organisation for 170,000 nurses and midwives in Australia
Canberra Office
Unit 3, 28 Eyre Street Kingston ACT 2604 Australia
PO Box 4239 Kingston ACT 2604 Australia
(T) + 61 2 6232 6533 (F) + 61 2 6232 6610
anfcanberra@anf.org.au
Melbourne Office
Level 1, 365 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
(T ) + 61 3 9602 8500 (F) + 61 3 9602 8567
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
Attention: news, health, industrial relations, politics
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Historic day for health care, nurses and midwives
ANF welcomes legislation to increase access to quality health care
New legislation giving ‘eligible midwives’ and nurse practitioners prescribing rights
on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Medical benefits Schedule
(MBS) will allow more Australians to access quality, affordable health care
according to the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF).
The Health Legislation Amendment (Midwives and Nurse Practitioners) Bill and a
Professional Indemnity Bill covering midwives will be tabled in Federal Parliament
tomorrow (24 June).
“The ANF congratulates the Australian government and the Minister for Health and
Ageing, Nicola Roxon for recognising the benefits that highly skilled and educated
nurse practitioners and midwives bring to the health of all Australians,” Ged
Kearney ANF federal secretary said.
“The government has taken a practical, common sense approach to helping more
people get safe, effective health care. Nurse practitioners already have authority to
prescribe medications but patients could not get rebates on the medicines and
tests they prescribed.”
The legislation would also allow pregnant women access to the full range of
services available from eligible midwives.
Ms Kearney said the ANF and peak nursing and midwifery bodies were looking
forward to further talks with the Minister for Health and Ageing in order to work out
the detail of the legislation.
“The legislation must be designed to give patients efficient access to the full range
of care that nurse practitioners and midwives provide,” she said. “People need our
care now, let’s make it happen.”
Media inquiries
Lee Thomas, ANF assistant federal secretary
0419 576 590
Libby Muir, ANF communications officer
0413 834 979
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