Consultations open on key midwifery regulatory documents

09 Apr 2026

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is now consulting on the revised Safety and quality guidelines for privately practising midwives, revised Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives and Guidelines: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives.

Consultation open: Review of the NMBA Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives

The NMBA is now consulting on the Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives (the standard) and newly proposed Guidelines: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives, and your feedback is important to us. 

To register and practise as a midwife with a scheduled medicines endorsement in Australia, midwives must comply with the standard. 

• Key proposed changes to the standard include:  
• removal of the requirement for 5,000 hours of clinical practice 
• removal of an identified context of practice 
• new requirement for applications for endorsement to be submitted within 12-months of completing an endorsement qualification, and  
• minor changes to the wording that appears on the public register.

Consultation open: Safety and quality guidelines for privately practising midwives

The NMBA is consulting on the Safety and quality guidelines for privately practising midwives (SQG).

The SQG is being updated to reflect the ending professional indemnity insurance exemption for privately practising midwives (PPMs) providing intrapartum care during a homebirth. Some other minor amendments have been made to provide further clarity and support safe and inclusive practice.

The SQG supports PPMs to deliver safe, evidence-informed and woman-centred care that is free from racism, culturally safe, and meets the unique needs of all people accessing private midwifery services.

Have your say

More information, including the public consultation papers is available on our current consultations page.

You can participate in our public consultations by completing an online survey or via email. Feedback on either consultation must be provided by Friday, 5 June 2026.