Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 1:42:24 to 1:48:11
Discussion shifts to the lack of expedited registration pathways for midwives compared to nurses and doctors. The committee also raises concerns about the pausing of birthing services in regional South Australian towns like Jamestown and Crystal Brook and the safety of rotational models.
Topics: Health, Employment
Speakers: Hon Anne Ruston, Natalie Bekis, Prof Alison McMillan, Justin Untersteiner, Unknown Speaker
Okay, no worries. Um so um there has been, I understand, a fast tracking registration pathway for nurses coming in from overseas. Does that also cover midwives?
No.
Okay. Um do you have any concerns the fact that that a similar pathway hasn't been considered for midwives?
The expedited pathways are um mechanisms developed by through ARPRA and the Nurse and Midwifery Board of Australia. Um they continue to look at these pathways. Um I would need to take on notice, or perhaps uh ARPRA might be able to say whether or not there's any consideration for midwifery expedited pathways in the same way as there is for nurses.
Ms. Ulgensteiner knows that that's a question he's going to be asked. Oh, please.
Um I just add to the Natalie Vickers from Workforce Division. Um all of the expeditor pathways were a national cabinet commitment post-COVID around Cruck and the implementation of making it essentially faster, cheaper and easier for international workforce to come to Australia. In terms of um the pathways, there are pathways open for medicine, pathways open for nursing, and there are a number of allied health pathways. The decision about which professions are on the list to actually become an expedited pathway is one we make together with the states and territories, and that is something that we have been deciding. So if it's not midwifery now, it is certainly part of the conversation that we are having about which are the types of professions, but we had to start somewhere, um, and we started with medicine deliberately. Um in terms of the appetite from comparable countries, so this is what we're talking about is um creating those strategic alliances and strengthening them with countries like the UK, Ireland, and others that are comparable to the national standards that we hold here and safety in this country. Um there we have seen over 5,000 nurses apply, and over 4,000 of those are currently working in Australia. As you appreciate, Senator, one of the things we can't do for the nursing profession that we do do for medicine is we don't have distribution levers. So I'm unable to tell you of those over 4,000 nurses, for example, where exactly are they working? I mean, it's something that we continue to work in partnership with ARPRA and the states and territories on.
Yep, sure. I was actually talking about midwives, not nurses.
Yeah, understood.
Mr. Understeiner?
Yeah, just an understanding of uh ARPRA. I don't have anything to add. I think Ms. Bekis has answered that quite um comprehensively.
Okay, we'll just be keen to see what work is done going into the future around how we we can um we'll put some work around midwives as to whether they may be considered for an expedited um pathway. Um does the um does the department or anyone sitting at the table provide any guidance or information to overseas health workers recruited to regional areas about the costs that they may face such as the the example that we used earlier before they were
No, Senator. I'm not aware.
Uh so there was some material that um we have developed as part of the health workforce task force led by the New South Wales government. I would have to check, it is quite a comprehensive material. Part of the recommendation was we need to improve the communication that we do provide. I would have to check directly whether or not it goes to the um specifics of costs. Um so I'd have to come back to you on notice, please, Senator.
Yeah, sure, thank you. Um also in another town in um Mr. Venning electorate um in a town called Capunda. Um so apparently the birthing services at the Capanda Hospital have been paused and have been since April this year. Um and Jamestown and Crystal Brook paused birthing services in June, and now and now they're trialing a rotational model that it local GPs have described as unsafe. Um has the Commonwealth been briefed by the South Australian Health on these changes?
Um I'm not aware of this case, Senator. We can take it on notice. Um obviously the provision of um maternity services is primarily a South Australian health issue. Um but uh we would need to take that on notice.
Yeah, I suppose it's it's mainly in the hook in the terms of the GPs are saying that it's unsafe and and I imagine that um particularly as the chief midwife you'd be very concerned about the safety. Um so I can take it from your response that you have an assessed the impact of these closures on women in these areas, or do you assess the impact on women in areas where we see um birthing services closed?
Again, Senator predominantly the the provision of services South Australian health responsibility. Um obviously uh through a range of uh uh elements including um our connections with our colleagues, uh it may be that they have escalated this through another pathway. We but it's certainly within the purview of myself as Chief Nurse or Olivia's chief midwife. We're not aware of this of this particular case.
Okay, well I'll get Mr. Viney to provide you the details of these specific cases so that you can maybe directly respond to him. Thank you very much. So while I have ARPRA at the table, um can I uh just um I've got some questions in relation to the proposed changes to the psychology training pathway? Um so I'm just wondering is it are you aware whether the psychology board is still intending to provide the uh the minister with the final report in December?