The healthcare industry is ever evolving to meet increases in population growth, ageing population, increase in chronic disease rates, and mental health conditions. The Australian healthcare system is currently dominated by a biomedical model, focusing on diagnosing and treating rather than preventing disease. This model overlooks socioeconomic factors which often contribute to health issues. 

This paper advocates for a shift to a socialised model of care. This model identifies the role social determinants of health play in achieving equity-based healthcare. Nurses are the largest group of health professionals and are uniquely positioned across the health sector to enact change. Nurses taking a leading role in delivering a socialised model of care through nurse led services would allow for more accessible healthcare nationwide and longer consultation times for patients to focus on foundational issues causing diseases and ill-health. 

This white paper uses a hypothetical case study to illustrate the different journeys a patient may experience using a biomedical model compared to a socialised healthcare model. It also highlights the benefits of the socialised model of healthcare and the need to: 

• review healthcare funding models focusing on funding allocation for socialised and nurse-led models of care
• develop national guidelines for health education providers to embed socialised models of healthcare into all aspects of the Nursing and Midwifery curriculum
• promote a workplace environment that encourages understanding and awareness of social determinants of health.