Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the last election, we made a clear commitment to the Australian people not only to strengthen Medicare but to ensure that, after almost a decade of cuts and chaos from those opposite, Australia would have a healthcare system that's accessible and responsive and truly works for the people who rely on it. At the heart of that system is our health workforce, the frontline workers who dedicate their lives to caring for us, our families and our communities when people need them the most. They are the backbone of our healthcare system, and the strength of Medicare depends on our ability to support and enable them to deliver the best possible care.

Whilst the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025 directly affects the work of registered nurses, it is fundamentally about everyday Australians—people who find themselves unwell, caring for a loved one or trying to navigate a system that often feels complex, slow and difficult precisely at the moment when they need support the most. This legislation is about making our health system work fairer and better where we need it to work. It is about ensuring people can access safe, affordable medicines without unnecessary delay, and it is about empowering our health workforce to work to its full potential so patients receive timely, high-quality care.

The Albanese Labor government also made a clear commitment to prioritise scope-of-practice reforms for health professionals. We did so because we know our health system is under pressure, with growing demand, workforce shortages and communities rightly calling for care to be more flexible, more efficient and more centred on their needs. This bill delivers on that commitment. It is practical, sensible reform that strengthens Medicare by modernising how care is delivered and ensuring highly trained health professionals are able to contribute fully within their scope of practice. It recognises that the challenges facing our health system cannot be solved by standing still. They require thoughtful, evidence based reform focused on people, not process, and that is why this reform is so important.

This bill enables designated registered nurse prescribers to prescribe certain medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme once they are appropriately trained and endorsed. It does this in two ways. First, it amends the National Health Act 1953 to recognise registered nurses who are endorsed under the National Registration Standard as authorised prescribers, allowing their prescriptions to attract Commonwealth subsidy through the PBS. Second, it amends the Health Insurance Act 1973 to include registered nurses within the Professional Services Review scheme, ensuring appropriate oversight, accountability and patient safety. These are careful and considered changes. They ensure that, as nurses' roles evolve, the legislative framework evolves with them, supporting quality care while maintaining the integrity of our health system.

Taken together, these amendments ensure that our laws keep pace with modern clinical practice and the realities of how care is delivered on the ground. They make it clear that, when a registered nurse is appropriately trained, endorsed and practising within a collaborative framework, we recognise their clinical judgement and support these incredible healthcare professionals in our national health system. By enabling access to PBS subsidies while maintaining strong safeguards and oversight, this bill strikes the right balance between expanding access to care and upholding the high standards Australians rightly expect from their Medicare.

Those of us on this side of the chamber have always recognised the incredible role nurses play in keeping our country healthy.

See this speech in context