Nurse-led regional clinics pilot shows promise

A pilot program that saw over 25 nurses deliver chronic disease management and preventative health care across 18 general practices in Wagga Wagga and surrounding areas from October 2024 to May 2025 is expanding. Led by Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) said the expansion comes after “successfully demonstrating how nurse-led clinics can improve access to care while reducing pressure on overstretched general practitioners and emergency departments”.

In the pilot, the 18 general practices developed individual models of care specific to their community, provided to 252 patients; 78% of patients booked follow-up appointments, ensuring continuity of care; life-saving early intervention, including the detection of a cardiac abnormality in a young patient, was provided; and it was reported by participating practices that the model was sustainable in their setting.

As a complementary source of health care for patients with chronic conditions in an area where GP appointment availability may be limited, many of these patients, ACN said, would otherwise visit EDs for routine care or may forgo care altogether. “The pilot highlights the potential of the 40% of nurses who work outside the hospital system to take on expanded roles if supported by appropriate funding reforms,” CAN said.

Primary care nurses — unlike hospital-based nurses — currently have no independent access to Medicare funding, limiting their ability to operate nurse-led clinics more widely, ACN said — pointing out that research by the University of Wollongong has shown that, despite their capacity to deliver high-quality patient care, many primary care nurses are currently underutilised. The expansion of the program will see the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network run the strategy again, with 28 practices set to take part.

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