Australian healthcare sector calls for AI sovereignty and nursing inclusion

St Vincent’s has urged the Australian Government to prioritize the development of sovereign healthcare AI capabilities. In a submission regarding AI standards and infrastructure, the provider warned that Australia risks becoming overly dependent on overseas technology providers despite possessing significant health datasets and clinical expertise. St Vincent’s chief medical officer, Chris Robinson, emphasized that health and aged care should be treated as priority sectors in national AI standards to ensure patient safety and public trust.

Separately, the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has called for nursing reform to be integrated into the federal government’s ongoing private health insurance rebate negotiations. The ACN warned that nurses are being overlooked in current reform discussions, following recent legislative setbacks where the Opposition, the Greens, and crossbench members voted to remove the reform legislation from the Senate agenda.