Innovating Primary Care Delivery in Residential Aged Care: A Nurse Practitioner Model of Care
Michelle Kelly

Date and Time

Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 3:05 PM - 3:20 PM

Theme / Track

Service delivery, workforce and reform

Presentation Format

Concurrent

There are more than 180,000 adults living within residential aged care homes (RACHs) in Australia, most of whom have complex health needs. Despite clear need for primary health care support, access to general practitioners remains inconsistent. Nurse Practitioners (NP) represent an innovative workforce solution to address this growing service gap. An NP model of care was trialled in RACHs in a regional town in New South Wales. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and implementation of the model of care. A mixed-methods implementation evaluation was undertaken. Reach, types of services delivered, and GP engagement were examined. Financial sustainability was examined by documenting whether or not RACH’s were willing to pay for the service following completion of the pilot. Acceptability was explored via surveys with residents (n=42) and nurses (n=10), and qualitative interviews with residents (n=15), facility staff (n=1) and NPs (n=2). Over 12 months, 1211 services were delivered across five RACHs. GP engagement with the model was largely positive. Financial sustainability was demonstrated with four RACHs transitioning to an ongoing cost-sharing arrangement following project completion. Acceptability was high: 85% of residents strongly agreed that they would recommend the NP service to other residents, and 100% of facility staff agreed or strongly agreed that NP involvement improved resident care. This pilot implementation project demonstrated that nurse practitioner models of care are feasible, acceptable and financially sustainable in residential aged. As the ageing revolution accelerates, such models offer innovative, scalable solutions to strengthen primary care access for older Australians.

Keywords

Chronic Conditions, Future Directions, Implementation, Models of Care, Residential

Authors

Ms Leigh Darcy, Hunter Primary Care
Dr Joanne Allen, University of Newcastle
Ms Jacqueline Hewitt, Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network
Dr Ashleigh Stuart, Hunter Medical Research Institute
Prof Mariko Carey, University of Newcastle