NSW Government Offers $20,000 Sign-On Bonus to Boost Midwifery Roles in Regional Areas

In an effort to address critical workforce shortages, midwives who choose to relocate and work in rural, regional, and remote areas of NSW will be eligible for a $20,000 sign-on bonus. This initiative is part of a new trial starting later this month, aimed at strengthening healthcare support for mothers, babies, and families in these underserved regions.

The trial, under the NSW Government’s Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme, will run for six months, from 30 September 2024 to 31 March 2025. The one-time payment will be offered to midwives who relocate to and commence work in facilities classifed between levels three and seven on the Modifed Monash Model, which includes many rural and remote locations.

Attracting healthcare professionals to regional, rural, and remote areas has long been a challenge for health authorities and governments. This trial is one component of the Minns Government’s broader strategy to strengthen the state’s health workforce, particularly in regions where shortages are most acute.

The Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme is supported by a range of other initiatives designed to bolster staffng levels and healthcare quality across NSW, including:

• Safe Staffng Levels Initiative in emergency departments

• Ongoing funding for 1,112 full-time nurses and midwives

• Abolition of the wages cap and the largest pay increase in over a decade for nurses and other healthcare workers

• Rollout of 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural, and remote communities attracting and retaining more healthcare workers in regional, rural, and remote areas, ensuring that people living in these communities receive high-quality, timely care close to home.

• An additional $200.1 million investment to enhance health worker accommodation in these areas.

“Workforce shortages in these areas remain the single biggest challenge facing our health system. Midwives help deliver nearly 100,000 babies across NSW each year, and regardless of location, providing women, families, and their partners with compassionate, high-quality care is paramount.

For midwives interested in applying for the bonus and relocating, further details on eligibility and applications can be found on the NSW Health website.

Quotes from Minister for Health, Ryan Park:

“This Government is fully committed to

“Through this innovative trial, we are exploring new ways to fll critical vacancies in our regions and build a stronger, more supported regional health workforce.”