Fears a pay parity deal for frontline community health workers could sink rural GP practices

The Government's agreed to fork out an extra 200-million dollars a year, bringing the workers pay in line with hospital nurses.

It covers those in aged care facilities, hospice and Maori and Pacific healthcare organisations.

But Rural Health Network chair Fiona Bolden is devastated general practice nurses have been left out.

She says they're already losing nurses - because they're financially better-rewarded elsewhere.