ANMF Tasmania Slams Dangerous Misinformation on Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics
July 2025
The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation (Tasmanian Branch) today condemned the baseless claims that nurse practitioner-led clinics compromise patient safety.
ANMF Acting-Branch Secretary Phoebe Mansell said these falsehoods are a transparent attempt to discredit a proven, valuable component of our health care system.
“Nurse practitioners (NPs) are senior clinicians with postgraduate and master’s qualifications,” Ms Mansell said.
“They perform comprehensive health assessments, diagnose and treat illnesses, prescribe medications, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and refer to specialists – all fully in line with their scope of practice.
“Alarmingly, recent commentary inaccurately portrays NP-led clinics as hazardous.
“In contrast, robust evidence shows safety and efficacy:
- A review of 37 studies over nearly two decades concluded NP care delivered “high-quality, safe, and effective care comparable to physicians”
- NP-led after hours emergency services in rural Victoria improved access, eased GP on call burdens, and yielded strong support from local GPs and communities.
- Systematic reviews show NP roles positively impact patient satisfaction, reduce waiting times, improve chronic disease control, and lower healthcare costs.
“Within Australia, Nurse Practitioner-led clinics have been successfully implemented across public hospitals and community settings, particularly for chronic disease management.
“These clinics commonly operate in collaboration with GPs – not in opposition – enhancing service access, efficiency, and affordability.”
Ms Mansell said Tasmania deserves a modern health system where all practitioners are empowered to work to their full scope.
“It’s time to:
- Reject misinformation: Patient safety concerns are unsubstantiated — the evidence supports NP led models.
- Embrace collaboration: NPs complement GPs, forming multidisciplinary teams that benefit patients.
- Support full scope of practice: Allow NPs to operate at their full potential, improving care access, especially in underserviced areas.
“The ANMF urges all major political parties to align with national best practice, and endorse more NP led clinics.
“Nurse practitioners deliver safe, effective, and collaborative care. Denying them full scope based on misinformation fails our communities.”