THE HON GED KEARNEY MP
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE
MEMBER FOR COOPER

The Albanese Government is making sure midwives in private practice can continue to provide homebirth services by extending the professional indemnity insurance exemption until 30 June 2025.

The Government, with the agreement of state and territory government Health Ministers, has extended the exemption under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 for the benefit of midwives and the women in their care.

Midwives working in private practice have access to professional indemnity insurance cover for antenatal and postnatal care services, but they do not have cover for homebirth intrapartum care services because the insurance sector does not offer a suitable indemnity insurance product.

This extension also removes a barrier for First Nation’s communities to access culturally safe midwifery continuity of care such as Birthing on Country models.

This means privately practising midwives can continue to work to their full scope of practice and give Australian women and their families the confidence to proceed with their homebirth and their chosen midwife.

Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney MP:

“A key commitment of the Albanese Government is our support for Australia’s highly skilled midwifery workforce and their ability to work to their full scope of practice.

“Improving community access to maternity services and culturally safe midwifery care is a high priority.

“This is why the Government will work with state and territory health ministers to finalise a solution to the longstanding and entrenched issue privately practising midwives face in accessing appropriate professional indemnity insurance.”