Access for Endorsed Midwives into Public Maternity Units Policy
MP 0093/18 - Access for Endorsed Midwives into Public Maternity Units Policy (pdf 123KB)
Applicable to: This Policy is applicable to all Health Service Providers that provide maternity services.
Description: The purpose of this Policy is to ensure Health Service Providers support safe and high quality maternity care within the Western Australian public health system by enabling Endorsed Midwives to access public maternity units through a Licensing Agreement for the purposes of delivering maternity services to their clients.
Under current legislation Endorsed Midwives are:
- required to hold current general registration with endorsement for scheduled medicines pursuant to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (WA) Act 2010
- able to admit patients pursuant to the Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2010 (No. 1)
- to have a collaborative arrangement in place pursuant to the National Health (Collaborative arrangements for midwives) Determination 2010.
This Policy mandates the process by which Health Service Providers are to provide Endorsed Midwives with access to their maternity units. Under this process, Endorsed Midwives will be able to book in and admit women as private patients under her/his care and to provide midwifery care whilst the woman and / or her baby are inpatients.
This Policy is to be read in conjunction with the Credentialing and Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice Policy which requires Endorsed Midwives to be credentialed and have a documented defined scope of clinical practice in accordance with the Credentialing and Defining Scope of Clinical Practice for Nursing and Midwifery Standard.
This Policy is a mandatory requirement under the Clinical Governance, Safety and Quality Policy Framework.
This Policy supersedes OD 0570/14 Access for Eligible Midwives into Public Maternity Units and IC 0181/14 Resources to support Health Services facilitate Access and Credentialing for Eligible Midwives.
Date of effect: 14 January 2022
Policy Framework
Clinical Governance, Safety and Quality
Licensing Agreement for Endorsed Midwives (docx 98KB)
Access for Privately Practising Endorsed Eligible Midwives
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Credentialing health practitioners and defining their scope of clinical practice – A guide for managers and practitioners, December 2015
National Registration and Accreditation Scheme as operated by the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia