Primary Health Care Nurses Call for Greater Recognition

The release of the National Health Performance Authority (NHPA) report, Healthy Communities: GP care for patients with chronic conditions in 2009-2013, has prompted the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) to call for greater recognition  in the management of chronic disease.
APNA President Ms Karen Booth says general practice is on the front line of chronic disease management, and primary health care nurses are an integral part of the general practice team.
The NHPA’s report, shows that every second person in Australia is estimated to have at least one chronic condition, with as many as one in four Australians estimated to have two or more conditions. Australians with one or more chronic conditions make up over half of all GP consultations, and account for a large share of hospital admissions.
“Managing chronic ill-health has a huge financial impact. The direct healthcare cost of mental disorders, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditions alone is estimated to account for more than a quarter of all Australian healthcare expenditure,” said Ms Booth.
“Patients with chronic conditions are large users of health and hospital services. If we can prevent and manage these conditions better in general practice, we can keep more people out of hospital and aged care facilities. This is better for patients and better for our health system,” said Ms Booth.
“The rise in chronic ill-health will mean increasing demand on primary health services. Primary health care nurses, as part of a general practice team, can play an essential role in meeting this demand. By making greater use of primary health care nurses we can avoid hospital admissions, free up the time of GPs, and save costs,” said Ms Booth.
“We urge the government to recognise and support the role of primary health care nurses in managing chronic conditions. Primary health care nurses can, and do, make a vital difference for patients with these conditions,” Ms Booth said