Rosanne Flemming NP
30 Aug 2009

Dear Mr Dutton

I am a constituent of your electorate of Dickson and I am also an Endorsed Nurse Practitioner (Aged Care) in Queensland. I have been advised by my professional body, The Australian College of Nurse Practitioners, that you are not willing to support the legislation to allow Nurse Practitioners access to MBS and PBS in their practice. As the opposition spokesperson on health, I feel it is imperative you have an understanding of the ‘coal-face' issues surrounding the proposed access to Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits for Nurse Practitioners. You may be too young to have experienced first-hand the gross inequality of access to health services provided to the aged,
especially those living in residential aged care facilities, but I can assure you it is happening on an appalling scale.