What a difference the cloud makes – why GPs need to look up when seeking software

July 10th 2025

What a difference the cloud makes - why GPs need to look up when seeking software

This article was originally published by The Medical Republic and can be viewed in its original format here.


Matthew Galetto - Founder and CEO of MediRecords

 At the recent Wild Health Summit – Towards One Health System, MediRecords hosted a breakfast panel called, “What a Difference the Cloud Makes.” It was a chance to have a real conversation about where general practice IT is headed, and where it should be. 

One of our panellists, Peter O’Halloran, Chief Digital Officer at the Australian Digital Health Agency, was asked a simple question: 

“If you were setting up a general practice today, would you go cloud or on-premise?” 

His answer was unequivocal. Cloud technology is essential. 

 

The RACGP’s cloud guidance feels out of step 

That’s why it’s a bit jarring to read the RACGP’s own guidelines on cloud computing, which still lean heavily towards on-premise systems and paint the cloud as risky. 

From where we sit, as a healthcare cloud provider working with GPs every day, this doesn’t reflect reality. 

The idea that practices are better off managing their own servers, software, patches, backups, and security just doesn’t stack up in 2025. Most clinics don’t have dedicated IT staff, and even if they do, securing on-prem systems to the same standard as cloud platforms is near impossible. 

Cloud providers like MediRecords deliver: 

  • Continuous updates and security patches, 
  • Encryption by default (at rest and in transit), 
  • Secure, redundant backups, 
  • Access controls, audit logs, and role-based permissions, 
  • Always-on monitoring by specialised teams. 

These aren’t “nice-to-haves”. They’re standard and they’re built in. 

Cloud systems remove the need for older remote access tools like Citrix or RDP, making it easier for teams to connect and get work done. This simpler setup means faster performance, especially with tasks like printing, which are often slow or unreliable on Citrix and RDP due to delays and compatibility issues, with fewer security layers to manage. 

 

Meanwhile, the government Is Moving Full Steam Ahead on Cloud 

The disconnect is this: the Australian Government has made it clear that the future of digital health is cloud-first, secure, and interoperable. That’s not just a goal, it’s national policy. From the National Digital Health Strategy to ADHA’s recent messaging, it’s crystal clear. 

When asked about security, Mr O’Halloran said cloud technology companies are best equipped to provide these protections. 

Cyber-criminals are highly organised and sophisticated and well advanced of most Australian businesses, he said. 

“You’ve got no hope of trying to keep up to date and keep ahead of the bad guys,” he said. “Putting (your data) in the cloud, if you do it a safe way, it doesn’t guarantee you’re safe, but it gives you a heck of lot more chance.” 

He said the days of running server-based systems are over; “it’s simply not safe”. 

What about costs? 

Costs of switching to cloud technology can be largely offset by reductions in hardware and utility costs but Mr O’Halloran applied a different lens. “Quite frankly, in most cases, the cost of not (transitioning to the cloud) is far worse when something goes wrong.” 

Dated advice 

When we asked the RACGP to consider updating their guidance that cloud technology may introduce “increased potential for data breaches”, we were told they’re happy with the current version. That’s disappointing, not for us as a vendor, but for the GPs who rely on accurate, forward-looking advice from their peak body. 

Time to call it like it is 

The truth is, we’re well past the point where this should be up for debate. Cloud isn’t a risk, it’s the solution to the risks we’ve seen time and time again with outdated, localised infrastructure. 

It’s safer. It’s more scalable. It is more user friendly for your workforce and supports better patient outcomes. And it’s what the rest of the health system is already moving towards. 

We owe it to our clinicians, and our patients, to move the conversation forward. 

 

About the author: 

Matt Galetto is the founder and CEO of MediRecords, Australia’s first true cloud practice management system and electronic health record. Matt has extensive experience in data analytics, healthcare, banking and hospitality technology. 

 This article was written by MediRecords CEO & Founder Matthew Galetto, and originally published by The Medical Republic. The original article can be viewed here.

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New Prescribing role for nurses: What you need to know
 

July 21st 2025

New prescribing role for nurses: What you need to know

More nurses will be able to prescribe pharmaceutical medicines from September in a move that aims to ease the pressure on GPs.

Not all registered nurses will be granted prescribing authority, and those who complete the required training and registration process are allowed to prescribe 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines only within a “formal prescribing partnership” with an authorised prescriber, such as a doctor. 

The new Registration Standard, Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines – Designated Registered Nurse Prescriber, was approved by health ministers last December and is part of ongoing national health workforce reform aimed at:

  • Improving access to healthcare, particularly in rural and remote communities or other settings where there are doctor shortages.
  • Expanding the scope of practice for experienced registered nurses.
  • Reducing pressure on GPs and the broader healthcare system. 
 
“This is a landmark moment for Australian nursing,” said Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Chair Ajunct Professor Veronica Casey. “We’re inviting the entire health community to join us on this journey.”

The standard was published last month to give stakeholders time to prepare for the change. 

Help for nurses to understand and meet the endorsement requirements can be found in the NMBA’s fact sheet and guidelines.

Help for Customers:

As these changes come into effect, MediRecords is ready to support your team. If you have registered nurses who will be endorsed to prescribe, their licences will need to be upgraded to enable prescribing functionality. This ensures appropriate access and compliance within MediRecords.

Your Customer Success Manager can walk you through the upgrade process, including any associated costs, and help ensure everything is in place before implementation begins in September. We’re here to make the transition simple and seamless. 

Frequently asked questions

The Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber can be found here on the NMBA website. 

A nurse practitioner has a master’s degree and can work independently to diagnose, treat, and prescribe. A designated RN prescriber has extra training and can prescribe, but only in partnership with a doctor or authorised prescriber. 

An RN must meet all requirements outlined in the official Registration Standard, including, but not limited to,  

  • Completing an NMBA-approved prescribing course (or equivalent study); 
  • Have at least 5,000 hours of clinical experience within the past six years; and,  
  • Hold general registration with no relevant conditions or undertakings. 

After gaining endorsement, the RN must work within a formal prescribing partnership (e.g. with a doctor) and complete a six-month clinical mentorship when they begin practising as a prescriber. See also the Guidelines for registered nurses applying for and with the endorsement – designated registered nurse prescriber on the NMBA website. 

Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines, but only within a formal prescribing partnership with a doctor or authorised prescriber. 

We can help upgrade your clinical licences to include prescribing capabilities and integrate nurse prescribers into your workflows. 

To ease pressure on GPs, improve access to care (especially in rural/remote areas), and expand the scope of experienced nurses. https://pricing.medirecords.com/

Sources

Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation 

Registered nurses’ prescribing powers expanded (RACGP)

NMBA’s Fact Sheet & Guidelines

New Standard to enable RN prescribing

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Health in Sight: November 2024
 
 

November 25, 2024

Health in Sight: November 2024

MediRecords reads healthcare news from around the globe so we can be well informed on innovation, developments and decisions that may affect future delivery of care. Here are some of the items that stood out in the inbox recently.

Impatient experiences

A data dump from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown some Aussies are delaying or doing without healthcare because they can’t afford it. While two thirds of people surveyed (66.4%) could access their preferred GP when needed, 11% of people in disadvantaged areas had to forgo medication or delay it due to the costs involved. And one in five Australians delayed or did not see a mental health professional because they couldn’t afford it. Significant as it is, this data may underestimate the growing gap in access to care. The Patient Experience Survey only interviewed people aged 15 or older who were usual residents of private dwellings, with the effect that people experiencing homelessness, in temporary or public housing are unlikely to have been counted.

While the overall proportion of people surveyed who delayed or did not use health services when needed fell over the past year, this did not apply for people with long term health conditions, or people living in areas of most socio-economic disadvantage, who were more likely to forgo care.

The survey shows GPs remain at the heart of Australian healthcare, with the proportion of people who saw a family doctor up slightly to 82.6% in 2023-24, from 82.3% in 2022-23. In contrast, only 53% saw a dental professional and 39% a medical specialist in 2023-24. Numbers of people seeing a GP for after hours care (5.2%) or urgent medical care (8.8%) were very low, while 15.3% of Australians visited a hospital emergency department in 2023-24. In outer regional, remote or very remote areas, (presumably with fewer GPs and options for after hours care,) 20.4% of people sought care at their local ED.

Significant gender gaps on service usage suggests Australian men do not prioritise their health, with women more likely to present at all the healthcare services listed in the survey. For example, 87.3% of women saw a GP in 2023-24, compared to 77.7% of men. Use of telehealth fell, with the data revealing women are significantly more likely to use telehealth services than men.

To read more of the Patient Experience survey results, go to Patient Experiences, 2023-24 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Housing-health linkages

On the subject of doing without, a Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) Health and Energy Hardship project has sounded the alarm that utility bills are no longer affordable for some households, resulting in people living without heating or cooling. VCOSS says energy hardship has demonstrable impacts on health and lists signs for healthcare professionals to watch for here: Health and Energy Hardship | VCOSS

This project is an example of focusing on opportunities to improve health equity, rather than just outcomes data. Cleveland’s Metro Health Institute for Hope recently posted on this issue, suggesting that asking communities how to change health outcomes may be more effective than monitoring distressing data. More detail on the Institute’s logic can be found here: Why health equity’s goal shouldn’t be outcomes

Cultural connections count

With Australian governments generally failing to achieve progress towards Closing the Gap targets for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (see Closing the Gap targets and outcomes | Closing the Gap), fresh approaches are clearly required. Recent University of New South Wales research may be a step in the right direction, with researchers finding that opportunities to practice culture on Country has a positive impact on “stress relief, inter-generational healing, and the journey to overcoming trauma, which in turn had a positive impact on … overall health and wellbeing.” Further details can be found here: The role of culture and connection in improving Aboriginal health :: Hospital + Healthcare

Season for change

The man who puts the flavour in demographic data, Bernard Salt, has added to the growing body of commentary suggesting the future of Australian Healthcare is in our own homes. Mr Salt told a Perth symposium that healthcare is about to be hit by the “baby boomer freight train” and “we will see the care sector redefined, re-imagined and repurposed” by this numerically and financially influential sector of our population. Health Services Daily reported the respected Mr Salt saying: “They will make it clear how their care should be delivered and the vast majority will want in-home care.” (Read more here: https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/future-of-care-is-in-the-home-salt/21895)

Spending to save

Whether you call them DNAs (Did not attend) or FTAs (failed to attend), a no show for a medical appointment means lost revenue and longer waitlists for patients who could have utilised the available timeslot. A partnership between Uber Health and Veteran Affairs in the US has made it easier for people to attend medical appointments by removing transportation as a reason for non-attendance. Veterans Health Administration report that 1.8 million appointments are missed annually due to transportation hurdles. Since inserting the Uber option, they say attendance has risen significantly, saving an estimated $196.7 million in missed appointments. (See VA finds medical transportation fix with Uber Health | TechTarget)

MediRecords at the coalface

As an access-anywhere cloud software system purpose-built for multidisciplinary care, MediRecords is used in a multitude of ways in Australian healthcare. These include use by paramedics; a remote mining camp; street, clinic and hospital care for people experiencing homelessness; Aboriginal health services; telehealth businesses; virtual emergency departments; alternative medication businesses and many more. Please reach out to us if you have a unique or innovative use of MediRecords you would like to showcase.

Tim Pegler

Senior Business Development Manager

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