Analysis of Australia's National PHC Framework and Nursing Practice

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of Australia's National Primary Healthcare (PHC) Strategic Framework, specifically examining a key strategy directed towards a public health issue. The essay explores the determinants of health, including equity, social justice, education, wealth, and access, within the context of the chosen PHC strategy. It also investigates the epidemiological factors associated with the strategy's implementation and effectiveness. Furthermore, the evaluation incorporates a reflection on the World Health Organization's (WHO) five key principles of Primary Health Care, demonstrating how these principles are applied or could be applied within the Australian context. The significance of the chosen strategy to nursing practice is also discussed, detailing the roles and responsibilities of nurses in addressing public health challenges, promoting health equity, and improving patient outcomes. The essay utilizes relevant literature to support its arguments and provides a comprehensive understanding of the framework's implications for healthcare delivery and public health in Australia, emphasizing the importance of holistic, patient-centered care and the crucial role of nurses in achieving these goals.

The National Primary Healthcare strategic Framework is the first national statement
that presents an approach to create a stronger and robust primary health care in Australia. The
people of Australia generally enjoy one of the best healthcare facilities of the world but some
growing burdens diminishing the quality of care. However, Australian National PHC
Strategic Framework is build on major health reforms and it contributes in achieving a safe,
effective, equitable as well as sustainable health system.
The strategies of National PHC are directed towards various public health issues. The
point 1.3 of the primary healthcare strategies focuses to improve access for the people
including aboriginals, who face difficulty in accessing healthcare programs due to various
social determinants such as socio-economic status, environmental factors and others. The key
strategy addresses the health determinants that include health equity and social justice such as
education, wealth, environmental status and access. In the year 1978, WHO adopted primary
healthcare approach, which is not only the philosophy of healthcare, but also the approach of
providing health services to all the people of the country. Commitment to health equity,
which is a part of development oriented to the social justice, is a principle of primary
healthcare approach that contributes to holistic nursing care. Also, there are various
government policy to improve the health status of aboriginals such as closing the gap policy.
However, the main focus of primary healthcare approach is to prevent illness and promote
health. Primary care is a medical concept, which refers to a situation where the diseases are
diagnosed, treated and at the end, the physician provides some follow-ups for a specific
disease. Again, nurses are more likely to provide 24 hour support along with primary care
approach to the patients and hence, both of the concepts are illness oriented concepts
(Standing Council on Health, 2013). The national PHC framework approach is an important
step in the ongoing process of health improvement. It also ensures that the primary healthcare
system meets all the healthcare challenges not only for today, but also for future.

In Australia, generally health inequities are found due to racial discrimination and the
indigenous people are most likely to suffer from poorer health outcome. Again, education and
wealth is another factor that resists in achieving the best health outcome. Also, residents of
remote areas cannot access health facilities due to long distance and travelling inconvenience.
Achieving health equity requires different components such as valuing all individuals and
populations irrespective of their race and ethnicity (Schneider, 2019). Recognizing as well as
rectifying any historical injustice is also essential in this regard. Also, in order to achieve
health equity, providing resources as per the need. Resources should not only be provided
equally, but as per the requirement. Primary healthcare is basically the entry level to the
health system and it includes a wide range of activities and services, starting from the health
promotion, prevention, to the treatment as well as management of different health conditions.
The epidemiological report is prepared on the national key performance indicators that work
for the primary healthcare of the aboriginal people. Even, a report revealed that during the
time span of the observation, 270,000 indigenous clients attended the healthcare
organizations to share their views in improving the healthcare system (AIHW, 2018). A
broad range of ways is there through which some right-based approaches to health can
integrate a more robust treatment of the social determinants. A more transformative
engagement between health and the human right is necessary to build on work in social
epidemiology. A better balancing of individuals and the collective dimension of rights can
deal better with the health equity and social determinants such as wealth, education and
access. Most importantly, the social determinants of health are identified as the access to
nutritious food, clean water, education and others which can be established with the help of
the principles of human right approaches (Adler, Glymour & Fielding, 2016).
Social determinants of health basically indicate the circumstances in which people
live and work which has strong affects on the health outcome of individuals. It has major

impact on the health outcomes of people. Due to the emphasis of caring relationships into the
nursing profession, nurses are always trained sufficiently to consider the family as well as the
community of the patients by advocating them and also to support them in self-managing
process. Nurses are well-positioned to support their needs by providing all the facilities of
health care in order to achieve a better health outcome and an improved patient care
experience. Various factors, such as education, financial status and environment must be
considered while providing care (AIHW, 2019). Climate change and environmental
degradation impacts human health in various ways and in some cases it causes premature
deaths. Climate change should be reframed as a public health issue and the engagement of
nurses is essential in this regard. Nurses communicate with patients and their families to
influence them in adopting different strategies for the betterment of healthcare facilities and
to prepare them for dealing with the various health impacts due to climate change and
environmental degradation. Some other health determinants are also there which are,
availability, acceptability, accessibility, affordability and cultural appropriateness of different
health service provision. It has been found in many researches that the burden of chronic
illness is increasing among the people of lower income groups who cannot afford to receive
right amount of care due to lack of financial support. Also, the racial disparities and remote
location is another issue that causes difficulties in accessing healthcare facilities. The key
barriers, such as weak availability of inputs, unaffordable cost and other factors are
responsible for poor health outcome. Nursing practice is not only confined to provide care but
also to consider these factors in order to create a holistic approach. Nurses should also
consider the five principles of primary healthcare produced by WHO (World Health
Organization, 2019). I think the roles and responsibilities of nurses are extremely vital in
providing a better care experience to the patients. Nurses can ask patients about their
educational, financial opportunities and also communicate with them to know if they are

aware of the social service agencies around their living locations. Informing them about the
appropriate resources can be another role of nurses. In this way, the role of nurses can be
significant in providing care that can address all the health determinants.
The above paper clearly discusses the one of the strategies of National PHC
framework and the role of nurses in this regard. The paper reflected how the strategy to
provide equal care as per PFC framework can be followed by the nurses to provide holistic
care. In this context, the health equity and other social health determinants has also been a
part of the discussion. This paper clearly relates the approach of nurses with the five core
principles of primary health care produced by WHO. With the help of such interventions, it is
possible to provide care as per need, equal care, community participation, intersectional
approaches, addressing social determinants. If the nurses are well-trained about the health
determinants, then it is possible to provide holistic care to the patients considering all the
issues.

References
Adler, N. E., Glymour, M. M., & Fielding, J. (2016). Addressing social determinants of
health and health inequalities. Jama, 316(16), 1641-1642. Retrieved from
https://nam.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Addressing-Social-Determinants-of-
Health-and-Health-Disparities.pdf
AIHW. (2018). Australia's health 2018: in brief. Retrieved from
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2018-in-brief/
contents/how-healthy-are-we
AIHW. (2019). Primary Health Care. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-
data/health-welfare-services/primary-health-care/reports
Schneider, H. (2019). The governance of national community health worker programmes in
low-and middle-income countries: an empirically based framework of governance
principles, purposes and tasks. International journal of health policy and
management, 8(1), 18. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6358641/
Standing Council on Health. (2013). National Primary Healthcare Strategic Framework.
Retrieved from
https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/6084A04118674329
CA257BF0001A349E/$File/NPHCframe.pdf
World Health Organization.(2019). The world health report. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/whr/2003/chapter7/en/index1.html