South Australians now have more options for free primary health care, with an expanded team of highly-skilled nurse practitioners that can prescribe medication working in GP clinics across the state, with one earmarked for Robe.


The two-year Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Pilot funds nurse practitioners in GP clinics to diagnose and treat a wide range of health conditions in the community, as part of a multi-disciplinary team approach to primary care.


Nurse practitioners can assess and diagnose patients, request and interpret tests, prescribe therapies and medications, and receive and make referrals to other health practitioners. Nurse practitioners have extensive post-graduate clinical experience and have completed mandatory prescribed education at a Masters level.


The nurse practitioner service is free of charge, giving people another avenue to receive care without needing to go to an ED.


The $2.6m pilot is part of a $10m Federal Government investment to help South Australia develop new ways to improve access to primary care and reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments.


The State Government has partnered with the Adelaide Primary Health Network (APHN) to deliver this pilot in metropolitan Adelaide. Three primary health care nurse practitioners have already been placed – one in the west at the Old Port Road Medical and Dental Centre at Royal Park, one in the north at the Angle Vale Medical Centre and another at Reynella Family Care in the south.


A further two nurse practitioners will also be placed in regional South Australia with recruitment for roles at the Robe and Ceduna Medical Practices currently under way.


A Clinical Program Manager has also been appointed to provide mentorship and support, facilitate a community of practice for the nurse practitioners, and to improve patient outcomes and support the ongoing evaluation of the pilot.


The overall funding package has also expanded South Australia’s healthdirect services with the introduction of the GP Extension Service and the Consumer Front Door.


The GP Extension Service, combined with the existing afterhours service, connects people to a virtual GP 24/7 when they require urgent medical treatment or advice and are unable to access their usual GP.


Since the GP Extension service was introduced in July 2023, more than 5300 people have been connected to a virtual GP appointment, with 85% of callers provided with a safe alternative treatment option in the community, avoiding an ED presentation.


Introduced in October 2023, the Consumer Front Door through healthdirect is available to people with urgent, but non-life-threatening health care needs. 


Operating between 9am to 9pm daily, the caller is transferred to a South Australian based virtual care service for assessment and management and, when required, referred to a face-to-face service for further treatment.


This service has triaged more than 9800 people to the SA Virtual Care Service, the Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service, and the Virtual Women’s Assessment Service, with 72% avoiding a trip to the ED by having their care needs met by these virtual services or at another out-of-hospital service such as Priority Care Centres and Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.


South Australians can access these services by calling the free healthdirect hotline on 1800 022 222.