Grants promised for practice nurses

Practice nurses could be working in GP practices on the Peninsula with the extension of grants for their employment, according to the Member for Robertson Mr Jim Lloyd.

Mr Lloyd welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister that a re-elected Coalition Government would extend the grants currently available.

Nurses working in GP practices, practice nurses, are a critical part of the Coalition's plan for a "stronger and more prosperous Australia", said Mr Lloyd.

Practice nurses have joined general practitioners at the front line of health prevention and primary care, delivering services including immunisation, pap smears, antenatal checks and chronic disease management, he said.

"I have been working for some time now with Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott to ensure that practice health nurses would be made available to GP practices on the southern end of the Central Coast", Mr Lloyd said.

"In addition I would like to congratulate the Central Coast Division of General Practice for their strong support and representations in assisting to secure this important initiative."

Until this announcement, grants to employ practice nurses were only available for the northern half of the Central Coast.

Under the new grant, the Peninsula would be included in employing practice nurses to all GP practices.

Along with practice nurses, the Prime Minister also announced that a re-elected Coalition Government would, for the first time, make funding available for practice nurses to visit older Australians, Veterans and war widows and widowers at home.

This initiative is expected to provide 800,000 home visits by practice nurses over the next four years.

Funding will also be available for practice nurses to visit, at home, younger patients deemed by their GP to be frail.

"The Coalition Government is committed to building a better health system for the Central Coast", Mr Lloyd said.

Press release, 31 Oct 2007 Jim Lloyd, Member for Robertson