Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 1:38:14 to 1:42:24
The committee examines barriers to recruiting overseas midwives, specifically a case where a UK midwife faced significant Foreign Investment Review Board fees. The Chief Nurse discusses the department's role in advocating for health workers on temporary visas and navigating migration complexities.
Topics: Health, Employment
Speakers: Hon Anne Ruston, Prof Alison McMillan, Unknown Speaker, Prof Anthony Lawler
Could I have the chief nurse or the chief midwife?
Good morning, Sonny.
Hey, how are you? Um this is just a few questions in relation um uh to some rural and regional um issues around um midwives, um, which I'm asking on behalf of my colleague Tom Benning, the member for Gray. Um so uh Tom is uh Tom's electorate is in the North of South Australia.
Senator Alison McMillan, first assistant secretary, health professional. Advisory division and chief nurse. Senator Austin, I I do recall seeing some media in relation to this case, but I don't know the specifics. We can certainly take the question on notice and get back to you. But it it is true to say that we are actively seek to recruit nurses and midwives from overseas and have worked with the Nurse and Midwifery Board of Australia to make pathways into Australia for suitably qualified nurses and midwives as a clear and a streamlined as possible. But we would need to take this case on notice by do recall media.
Yeah. Yeah, so I I suppose it you know it as in a general context, and I'll provide you with the data information about the particular person, but in a more general um context what is the role in terms of the Department of Health, and particularly as the Chief Nurse and the Chief Midnife around advocating about our health workers and particularly our maternity health workers into regional areas on temporary visas around getting them more streamlined access, making sure I mean, even to the extent that they may be given exemptions because we know how shallow these workforces are. Is there is there much that you do around that sort of advocacy?
Again, Senator, um often the employers are either the local health service or in this case South Australian Health. There are occasions where our colleagues may seek our assistance where there are particular cases of concern. And we have ongoing relationships with our colleagues in immigration and such like, and we can often help navigate some of the complexities of these with through our connections and networks. So there are occasions and have been in the past where if there are issues raised, we may be able to put the right people in contact to make the right decisions, always of course acknowledging the rules around visa requirements and migration.
Yeah. So you you say you talked to um immigration. Do you also speak to Treasury? Um, I mean some of the things the barriers are actually can be treasury.
If if it was a treasury issue, we would, but I'm not aware that anyone has raised anything of that nature with us.