Pressure continues to mount on the federal government to rule out plans for any form of Medicare patient co-payment. The ANMF is now backing criticisms from senior Liberal MP Mal Brough of his own party’s approach to primary care funding. Brough ...

The federal government is to commit $54.5 million over four years towards dementia support services for the establishment of a number of new Severe Behaviour Response Teams (SBRT). In a statement, assistant minister for social services Mitch Fifield explained that ...

A Liberal MP has called for the co-payment on GP visits to be dumped, as questions swirl about Tony Abbott's leadership. Queensland MP Mal Brough says Medicare spending on GP visits is not out of control. This contradicts the message from the government ...

Victorian nurses are calling on the state’s Royal District Nursing Service to stage the introduction of its new services model over a longer time period and are demanding a range of guarantees for any staff the changes affect. The demands come ...

Brisbane-based woman founds organisation to keep the innovation and vitality of younger staff in the fold.  Out of frustration over the lack of support for young staff, a Brisbane-based woman has established the Young Nurses Association. Nurse Emmy-Lou Hamley founded ...

Nurses and doctors have welcomed a government pledge for greater consultation with the health professions following the Coalition’s backdown on its controversial plans to slash rebates for shorter GP consultations. From next week, a scheduled change to standard, time-based GP ...

The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) is on the hunt for a new CEO following the resignation of longstanding chief executive Kathy Bell. In announcing Bell’s resignation yesterday, APNA president Karen Booth praised the outgoing CEO’s leadership over ...

Peak health bodies have expressed hope that the appointment of Sussan Ley as federal health minister will signal an opportunity to make headway against what they say are potentially negative government policy initiatives. The promotion of Ley to the prominent ...

Australia may well be in trouble without a co-ordinated approach to adequate staffing; a professor puts into focus the importance of looking past the short term on costs, and developing a national strategy.  A leading WA nursing professor is calling ...

Amid confusion over the future of the proposed $7 GP co-payment, the head of Australia’s nursing union cautions the fight’s not over yet. “We are obviously pleased that the government is reportedly planning to shelve the GP fee for the ...