The federal government's "healthy kids" checks should be carried out by nurses at child and maternal health centres, following reports that the program is currently failing targets. Australian Nursing Federation federal secretary Ged Kearney said restricting the checks to general practice may be one of the reasons the program has not been taken up more widely.
"We know that general practice is already under enormous strain. If the funding for "healthy kids" checks were extended to maternal and child health centres more children would undoubtedly benefit from the program," Ms Kearney said. "Midwives and nurses form trusting relationships and continuity of care from birth to school age through these local centres and parents would feel more comfortable visiting nurses and midwives with their children."
The ANF applauds the federal government's efforts to improve the health of Australian children through the program and will urge the Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, to consider providing some of the unspent funds for the last financial year to maternal and child health centres.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) rejected the ANF's appeal to improve access to the scheme through maternal and child health centres by claiming it would "dumb down" the health checks. "General practitioners and their practice nurses, in close collaboration, are the appropriate people to be conducting these health checks, and they are conducting them diligently and skillfully," AMA president Andrew Pesce said in a media release responding to the ANF.
"This comprehensive knowledge of the child is not available to independent nurses who seek to conduct one-off child health checks in child and maternal health centres, as proposed by the Australian Nursing Federation," Dr Pesce said.
Ged Kearney said it was unfortunate that Dr Pesce and the AMA were so alarmed by the idea of being supported by highly qualified child and maternal health nurses. "We know that maternal and child health nurses are not in the habit of providing "one off health checks" but develop trusting relationships with mothers and babies and provide continuity of care. This is not about defending a professional patch but what is best for children.
The federal government's "healthy kids" checks should be carried out by nurses at child and maternal health centres, following reports that the program is currently failing targets. Australian Nursing Federation federal secretary Ged Kearney said restricting the checks to general practice may be one of the reasons the program has not been taken up more widely.
"We know that general practice is already under enormous strain. If the funding for "healthy kids" checks were extended to maternal and child health centres more children would undoubtedly benefit from the program," Ms Kearney said. "Midwives and nurses form trusting relationships and continuity of care from birth to school age through these local centres and parents would feel more comfortable visiting nurses and midwives with their children."
The ANF applauds the federal government's efforts to improve the health of Australian children through the program and will urge the Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, to consider providing some of the unspent funds for the last financial year to maternal and child health centres.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) rejected the ANF's appeal to improve access to the scheme through maternal and child health centres by claiming it would "dumb down" the health checks. "General practitioners and their practice nurses, in close collaboration, are the appropriate people to be conducting these health checks, and they are conducting them diligently and skillfully," AMA president Andrew Pesce said in a media release responding to the ANF.
"This comprehensive knowledge of the child is not available to independent nurses who seek to conduct one-off child health checks in child and maternal health centres, as proposed by the Australian Nursing Federation," Dr Pesce said.
Ged Kearney said it was unfortunate that Dr Pesce and the AMA were so alarmed by the idea of being supported by highly qualified child and maternal health nurses. "We know that maternal and child health nurses are not in the habit of providing "one off health checks" but develop trusting relationships with mothers and babies and provide continuity of care. This is not about defending a professional patch but what is best for children.
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