Ministers extend professional indemnity insurance exemption for privately practising midwives

22 Dec 2021

Health Ministers have extended the professional indemnity insurance exemption for privately practising midwives (PPMs) until 31 December 2023. 

An extension of this exemption is necessary while additional work is undertaken to inform Ministers’ decision about the way forward for insurance arrangements for PPMs.

The extension regulation was made by the Ministerial Council on 6 December 2021 and is available on the Victorian legislation website. 

Eligibility for the exemption

PPMs must meet the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s (NMBA) Safety and quality guidelines for privately practising midwives (guidelines) in order to be eligible for the exemption from requiring professional indemnity insurance (PII) for providing intrapartum care for homebirths. The guidelines also apply to PPMs who provide care in discrete areas such as postnatal care, antenatal care and/or specialist lactation services.

The guidelines provide PPMs with clarity and support to practise their role with safety and quality, while facilitating workforce flexibility and access to services. The guidelines are available on the Guidelines section of the NMBA website.