To date, no comprehensive, ongoing data set exists in relation to how and why people use and access primary health services, what occurs in individual consultations and the health outcomes that occur as a result of these services. This Health Policy Issues Brief from the Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research argues in favour of the development of a Primary Health Care National Minimum Dataset. Recommendations have been made for a data set that assists Primary Health Networks (PHNs) core business and outlines those data elements that are required by the PHNs to be included in the dataset.