Delivering continuity of midwifery care to Queensland women

Section 8
Industrial issues
The annualised salary
Midwives working in caseload models in Queensland Health
services are covered by special provisions within the Award. They
do not work shifts, they organise their work time according to the
needs of their women and as negotiated within their MGP and their
line manager.
Caseload midwives are paid an annualised salary as outlined in the current industrial
award schedule 9 (Midwifery models of care) copied in Appendix 8.01. Current awards and
agreements may be found at:
www.health.qld.gov.au/eb/current_agree.asp
Key elements of the annualised salary award for caseload midwives
• Caseload midwives are paid a loading (at the time of writing this was 35 per cent) on top
of award rates. The loading compensates caseload midwives for not receiving penalty
allowances, holiday leave loading and other items normally paid to shift-workers listed in
the award.
• Caseload midwives receive standard annual leave, family leave, maternity leave,
professional development leave and all other aspects of Queensland Health awards.
• Midwives on annualised salaries work an averaged 76 hour fortnight instead of an 80
hour roster each fortnight, therefore midwives on annualised salaries do not receive a
rostered day off each month.
• The 76 hour fortnight is averaged over eight weeks of work.
• Midwives can provide continuous care for up to 12 hours, after that time the current award
requires the midwife to hand over care. They may hand over care at eight hours or as
required due to fatigue.
• Under the award, local agreements for annualised salaries and associated working
arrangements are negotiated between stakeholders.
Please note: Awards are periodically re-negotiated so it is important to check the current
award.
Working groups
The award requires a working group to be established before a midwifery model of care is
developed. This group includes local midwives with an interest in working in the model, local
midwives who may be affected by the model, Queensland Health managers, the Queensland
Nurses Union (QNU), universities and other key stakeholders to consider the appropriate
midwifery model.
The development of a working group, steering committee or reference group, including
consumer representatives, is required practice and is described in more detail in Sections 3
and 4.
Local agreements—process
The award requires local agreements to be developed to support the midwifery model of
care. An early step in most districts would be to raise the development of a midwifery model
of care at the district Nursing and Midwifery Consultative Forum. A working party would then
be established to draft the agreement with appropriate representation from management
staff, midwifery staff and the QNU.
Staff representatives would include both those midwives with a desire to work in the new
model and those who may not be employed in the model but have concerns about how any
new arrangement will impact them and the flow of care. For example core maternity staff in
metropolitan services or an emergency department in rural services would want to know if
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Delivering continuity of midwifery care to Queensland women