Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s (DOHAC’s) Consultation draft – Increasing access to health and aged care: a strategic plan for the nurse practitioner workforce.

Universities Australia is the national peak body representing Australia’s 39 comprehensive universities. Australian universities made a major contribution to the pandemic, particularly in the areas of research, epidemiology/public health and health professions (education and/or workforce). These aspects of universities’ activities continue to be relevant to the matter of long COVID and are reflected in our response to the inquiry’s terms of reference1 three and five.

Universities made a major contribution to the pandemic.