These comprehensive workbooks guides nurses new and transitioning to general practice or aged care through key components of these areas of nursing, and will ensure a thorough understanding of the many facets of these primary health care settings.
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Primary health care is any medical service that is provided outside the four walls of a hospital, including aged care, community health, general practice, custodial, schools and many other primary health care settings. Australia's 98,000+ primary health care nurses play a critical role in disease prevention and control to keep people healthy. They provide proactive care and health promotion to keep Australians well.
Melanie Irwin, Primary Times Managing Editor
Rebecca White was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in May 2025 after many years in Tasmanian state politics. She is currently Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health and Assistant Minister for Women. I asked Rebecca about the government’s health policies and their implications for the roles of nurses and midwives.
We should all be proud of the world-class health system we have built over many decades in Australia that includes Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. We also have an incredible health workforce that supports patients every day across all parts of the health sector from primary care to the highest level of specialist environments. But like any system, the health sector must continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of our population.
Coming from Tasmania and working in the Tasmanian Parliament over many years, I understand the challenges being faced by so many in our community when it comes to accessing care. In rural and regional areas, I regularly hear from constituents who’ve had to travel long distances or wait too long to see the right health professional. For too long primary care was neglected and the cost to go to a general practice continued to rise. This hurt the community, the dedicated professionals in primary care and the health system, as we now see the repercussions of that neglect in our hospitals.
Unfortunately, we are also seeing changes in the private hospital sector, which is further impacting rural and regional people with services closing in these areas.
As Assistant Minister, I have been particularly concerned about the issues I am hearing about cultural safety across the health system. From First Nations health workers and consumers and the multicultural community, there are many people in Australia that find it incredibly difficult to access what they need in mainstream health services.
We also know we have work to do to prepare the health system for innovation, with new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, new models of care and opportunities for research that will ensure Australia’s health system remains world-class.
I am already seeing the difference that our government’s investments in Medicare, cheaper medicines, the health workforce and expanding health services are making on the ground. The Albanese Government is putting in place practical measures to strengthen Medicare and build a more connected, resilient health system for future generations.
We know there is more work to do to turn around these structural challenges, and I am looking forward to working with everyone across the sector to ensure our communities can access the care they need.
Nurses and midwives provide exceptional care, and we know that patients benefit when their full expertise is recognised and supported. Across primary care, women’s health and the broader health sector, we can work together on changes that will support your professions, and consumers.
We continue to work through the recommendations of the Scope of Practice Review led by Professor Cormack, but we have already taken steps to expand the scope of practice of nurses and midwives across a range of areas. This includes removing the requirement for nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives to be in a collaborative arrangement with a doctor, raising the Medicare rebate for nurse practitioner services and making changes to MBS items to support more care delivered by nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives.
We also have another significant change with Registered Nurse prescribing coming into effect. This is a positive change that will make a tremendous difference for patients, particularly in primary health care where there is a lot of opportunity for the nursing profession to continue to expand its scope of practice.
There are more changes to come: We are finalising Australia’s first National Nursing Workforce Strategy, and this will guide workforce priorities into the future. We are in a period of opportunity to elevate the scope of practice of nurses and midwives, and to advance the professions more broadly.
I’m particularly passionate about women’s health. For too long, women’s experiences were often overlooked or minimised in the health system, and we’re now seeing real momentum in changing that.
Through the $790-million Women’s Health Package announced in the Budget, we’re putting women’s health where it belongs, at the centre of national health policy. This investment is helping improve access to care for conditions like endometriosis, pelvic pain, menopause and perimenopause, while also funding more education and awareness to ensure women are listened to and supported throughout their lives.
I’m having many conversations with women who’ve said how much this focus means to them, from women navigating menopause to those finally finding answers to conditions they’ve lived with for years. It’s a powerful reminder that good health policy starts with listening.
And with so many in the nursing and midwifery workforce being women, I also want to remind those who spend their days caring for others to take care of themselves, too. Our health system is stronger when those who care for others are supported to care for themselves.
Nurses have a powerful voice.
As the largest health profession and as individuals that see what is happening in their communities each day, their experiences are important.
I would encourage every nurse to get to know their local representatives, their professional organisations and the groups that are advocating for them to contribute their insights, experiences and their leadership to local and national discussions.
We know the best policies are those shaped by the people delivering care every day.
Recent investments, including new postgraduate scholarships, Fee-Free TAFE and paid placements, show that we’re not only hearing nurses’ concerns but acting on them.
I would also encourage nurses to look at the work that is being developed by the Government in their jurisdiction and by the Australian Government in their areas of interest and contribute to consultation processes, join working groups and Boards.
Most importantly, I would encourage nurses to think about putting their hand up to represent their community. Being part of the democratic process and having your voice heard in parliament is incredibly powerful. You become a policymaker that can support evidence-based discussions and decisions. The Albanese Government is proud to have the voices of many health professionals in our team, and the next one could be you!
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