Revised midwifery specific registration standard and guidelines take effect on 1 January 2017

30 Dec 2016

The revised Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives and Safety and quality guidelines for privately practising midwives (SQG) take effect from 1 January 2017.

What’s changed

Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives

• Combines and replaces the two previous registration standards - Registration standard for endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives and Eligible midwife registration standard.
• Changes in the use of the term ‘eligible midwife’.
• Transition from the current two-step (notation) process for endorsement for scheduled medicines to a one-step process.
• From 1 January 2017 only applicants that meet the new Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives will be endorsed

Safety and quality guidelines for privately practising midwives

• Replaces the previous Safety and quality framework for privately practising midwives attending homebirths.
• Supports regulatory accountability for safe and professional private midwifery practice for exemption from the professional indemnity insurance (PII) requirements under the National Law.

The standards and guidelines were revised after a scheduled review, which included public consultation. The NMBA has published consultation reports providing a summary of the consultation processes, rationale for any changes and proposed way forward, including areas where further work is planned.

The NMBA has also published a suite of supporting documents to facilitate a better understanding of the updated standards and guidelines. Please refer to NMBA’s Registration Standards page and Professional Codes & Guidelines page for additional information and resources.

Midwives with an endorsement for scheduled medicines and privately practising midwives will need to meet the obligations of the revised standard and guidelines from 1 January 2017.

For more information

• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 9275 9009 (overseas callers)
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200