Delivering continuity of midwifery care to Queensland women

Section 13
Eligible midwives
Overview
A range of Australia-wide reforms in 2010 are intended to improve
women’s access to continuity of midwifery care in the private system:
• A range of antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal MBS rebates has
been enabled by the Commonwealth, for services of eligible midwives
in private practice.
• The ‘eligible midwife’ notation has been created by the NMBA, enabling access to
Medicare provider numbers.
• A range of medications are subject to PBS rebates when prescribed by eligible midwives.
• An ‘endorsement for scheduled medicines’ has been created by the NMBA, allowing
eligible midwives to prescribe.
• Reforms of states’ and territories’ drugs and poisons legislation has occurred to legalise
prescribing by endorsed midwives.
• Commonwealth-subsidised professional indemnity insurance is available to eligible
midwives.
These reforms represent a major reform to Australian maternity services. However,
implementation of this model has only recently commenced, significant gaps are yet to be
addressed and it is unclear what models will result.
All public maternity services can expect to be collaborating with eligible midwives over the
next few years. Scope also exists for facilities to establish hybrid models in which antenatal
and postnatal care is provided privately by eligible midwives and for some rural or remote
facilities to access Medicare rebates for antenatal and postnatal care by eligible staff
midwives under Section 19.2 (see below).
Births of women receiving private care, including private births in the care of eligible
midwives, are not included in Queensland Health’s continuity of carer targets.
Eligible midwives
Eligible midwives are enabled to provide MBS-rebatable services. Midwives do not have to
be eligible to provide midwifery continuity of care.
An eligible midwife has completed additional requirements, as legislated by the
Commonwealth Government, to receive a notation on their registration stating they are
an ‘eligible’ midwife. This notation enables the midwife to apply for a Medicare provider
number.
In brief, the eligible midwife has:
• three years full-time experience
• current competence across the full scope of midwifery practice
• completed a professional review process endorsed by the NMBA
• undertaken an additional 20 hours of CPD requirements annually
• met requirements for completion of a prescribing course.
More detail on eligible midwives is available in Appendix 13.01.
The benefits of eligibility apply mostly to midwives in private practice. Private practice
midwives in Queensland are supported by Midwives Australia www.midwivesaustralia.com.au
Medicare provider
Once a midwife has a notation as an eligible midwife they are able to apply for a Medicare
provider number. This enables women receiving the eligible midwife’s services to access
MBS rebates for antenatal care, birth care in hospital and postnatal care.
A guide to implementation
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