AMA Tasmania warns against compromising patient safety with nurse-led clinics

“It takes 10 – 12 years to train a GP. 

“Tasmanians know and trust the care that they receive from specialist doctors. 

“You cannot replace doctors without compromising patient safety. 

“Nurse practitioner-led clinics put patients at risk by replacing doctors with less trained staff. 

“Serious conditions may be missed or mismanaged without a doctor’s oversight.

“Patients deserve the safest care no matter where they live in Tasmania, and that means care led by fully qualified doctors.

“Initiatives like this just fragment care and are not good for patients. 

“Instead, Labor should be directing the limited health dollar towards initiatives that support team-based care, with the doctor providing medical oversight.”

“We want more GP and specialist doctor lead collaborative care, not less. 

“AMA Tasmania does not support any further fragmentation of care and the development of two-tier systems.”

Regional hospitals often have a close link to the local general practice; this relationship needs to be supported, not fragmented. >>>ENDS

All quotes can be attributed to Dr Meg Creely, Vice President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Tasmania.