The Australian Government is set to enhance maternal care with a significant investment in midwifery. As part of the 2024-25 Budget, $56.5 million will be allocated to expand the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), improving access to flexible and high-quality midwifery care.

Starting 1 March 2025, endorsed midwives will be able to offer longer appointments of at least 90 minutes before and after childbirth. The funding will also introduce a new item for complex antenatal appointments if a woman is hospitalised. This initiative follows the Albanese Government’s recent changes, which removed collaborative arrangement requirements for midwives and nurse practitioners, allowing them to prescribe certain medications and deliver more Medicare-covered services.

Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney MP, highlighted the benefits of a continuous, woman-cantered care model. “A midwife builds a strong relationship with the mother, helping her navigate pregnancy and childbirth,” Kearney noted. “These changes will support midwives and improve access to care, especially in regional areas.”

Zaneta Mascarenhas, MP, emphasized the personal significance of midwifery care, reflecting on her own experience. “As a mum, I know how important the care and guidance that midwives provide for women. The $56.5 million investment by the Albanese Government into midwifery care will mean more women are supported at those critical times before and after baby arrives,” she said.

Alison Weatherstone, Chief Midwife of the Australian College of Midwives, praised the reforms as foundational for future care. “Midwives are perfectly placed to provide primary midwifery care in the community. These changes are part of the foundation required to grow the Endorsed Midwife workforce, ensuring care of a woman’s choice well into the future. We know that continuity of midwifery care is the best maternity care women can get in Australia,” Weatherstone concluded.