THE DESIRE FOR PRIMARY CARE NURSES TO DO MORE, BE RECOGNISED AND VALUED FOR THE WORK THEY DO
With
Denise Lyons
Nurse Practitioner, Newcastle, NSW &
President, Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA)
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Newcastle, NSW | August 2025
Denise Lyons is a highly experienced nurse with over 40 years in the profession, including more than 25 years dedicated to primary care. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the United States in 1985 and, in 2012, became an endorsed Nurse Practitioner in Australia. Currently, she serves as a primary care Nurse Practitioner in General Practice in Newcastle, where she is committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care that improves the health and wellbeing of her community.
Throughout her career, Denise has championed the vital role of nurses in primary health care. Her professional journey spans clinical practice, leadership, and policy, with a strong focus on innovation and equity in health service delivery. Passionate about excellence in primary care, she has contributed extensively to advancing the profession through leadership, mentoring, and advocacy.
As an elected Board Director, and now President of the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA), Denise is dedicated to strengthening the voice of primary health care nurses nationwide. She advocates for best practice, professional recognition, and sustainable models of care. Known for her collaborative leadership and strategic vision, Denise is committed to shaping a strong future for nursing and primary health care in Australia.
About APNA
The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) is the peak body and professional membership association for all nurses working outside of a hospital setting in Australia. APNA champions the role of primary health care nurses; to advance professional recognition, ensure workforce sustainability, nurture leadership in health, and optimise the role of nurses in patient-centred care.
APNA represents a significant and rapidly expanding workforce; primary health care nurses account for around one in eight of the 640,000 registered health professionals in Australia.
Source: Supplied and from Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) website
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Study reveals socioeconomic barriers to children’s healthcare access
Research published in the Australian Journal of General Practice (AJGP) has revealed mental health and developmental–behavioural issues such as ADHD are the most common paediatric referrals in metropolitan general practices.
But the research also revealed children at higher risk are less likely to get the care they may need.
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Taiwanese health and research delegation visit Paratus clinical trial site in Canberra
In late August 2025, a Taiwanese delegation comprising government officials from the Taiwanese FDA, various governmental groups, and physicians and researchers from across Taiwan, visited Paratus Clinical’s trial site in Canberra. Their objective was to explore both the differences and similarities between the clinical research ecosystems of Taiwan and Australia.
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Smart technology in wound care
Throughout her journey around wound care, Santosh Kaur was frustrated to see the simple gaps in wound care resulting in negative patient outcomes. Santosh is the founder of SmartHeal which launched in 2020.
SmartHeal replaces the nurses taking cumbersome manual measurements and manual sharing of important wound data with a no touch technique. It aims for healthcare professionals to have live remote access to wound data, make wound assessments and assist with speech to text notes thus saving time, cost and people. SmartHeal also aims to assist healthcare professionals in providing optimum wound care by analysing the wound tissue for infection, moisture and providing suggestions for suitable dressing.
