nurses’ skills are too often wasted in general practice
- Written by Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute
Australians are living longer, but we’re also living longer with disease and disability. Half of us now have at least one chronic condition.
As rates of disease rise, so does demand for health care. In the 40 years since Medicare began, the average number of visits to the GP per person has increased by more than 60%.
Now general practice – where most people go first for check-ups, diagnoses, and ongoing management of chronic conditions – is under pressure. In 2024, nearly 30% of Australians said they waited too long to get the primary care they needed.
But Australia has more nurses per person than many similar countries. Removing barriers that prevent nurses from using all their skills could help meet the growing demand for care.
Nurses’ skills are being wasted
Primary care works best when delivered by a team: with doctors working alongside nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals and other health workers.
When the team can safely use all their skills and training, patients benefit from improved access, equal or better health outcomes, improved efficiency and potential cost savings.
However GPs in Australia are less likely than those in similar countries to delegate tasks tasks such as immunisations, routine health checks and health promotion to nurses.
Two recent independent reviews found that while many practices employ a nurse, most are not using all their skills.
