2008-2009

 

 

 

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

 

 

 

 

SENATE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEALTH LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (MIDWIVES AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS) BILL 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

 

 

 

Amendments to be Moved on Behalf of the Government

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon. Nicola Roxon MP)

 

 

HEALTH LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (MIDWIVES AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS) BILL 2009

 

OUTLINE

 

These amendments to the Bill clarify that collaborative arrangements with medical practitioners will be required of participating nurse practitioners and midwives (in relation to the Medicare Benefits Schedule) and authorised midwives and nurse practitioners (in relation to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme).   The details of these requirements will be specified in subordinate legislation.

 

Financial Impact Statement

 

The amendments to the Bill have no financial impact.

HEALTH LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (MIDWIVES AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS) BILL 2009

 

NOTES ON CLAUSES

 

Amendment 1 - Schedule 1, item 6, page 4 (line 10)

Item 1 amends the definition of participating midwife in Schedule 1, item 6, by substituting a new paragraph (b) and inserting an additional requirement that an eligible midwife will only satisfy this definition in so far as the eligible midwife renders a service in a collaborative arrangement or collaborative arrangements of a kind or kinds specified in the regulations, being a collaborative arrangement or arrangements with one or more medical practitioners of a kind or kinds specified in the regulations.

 

Amendment 2 - Schedule 1, item 6, page 4 (line 18)

Item 2 amends the definition of participating nurse practitioner in Schedule 1, item 6, by substituting a new paragraph (b) and inserting an additional requirement that an eligible nurse practitioner will only satisfy this definition in so far as the eligible nurse practitioner renders a service in a collaborative arrangement or collaborative arrangements of a kind or kinds specified in the regulations, being a collaborative arrangement or arrangements with one or more medical practitioners of a kind or kinds specified in the regulations.

 

Amendment 3 - Schedule 1, item 70, page 22 (line 2)

Item 3 inserts into the definition of authorised midwife in Schedule 1, item 70, an additional requirement that an eligible midwife will only satisfy this definition in so far as the eligible midwife provides midwifery treatment in a collaborative arrangement or collaborative arrangements of a kind or kinds specified in a legislative instrument made by the Minister for the purpose of this definition, being a collaborative arrangement or arrangements with one or more medical practitioners of a kind or kinds also specified in the legislative instrument.

 

Amendment 4 - Schedule 1, item 71, page 22 (line 6)

Item 3 inserts into the definition of authorised nurse practitioner in Schedule 1, item 71, an additional requirement that an eligible nurse practitioner will only satisfy this definition in so far as the eligible nurse practitioner provides nurse practitioner treatment in a collaborative arrangement or collaborative arrangements of a kind or kinds specified in the a legislative instrument made by the Minister for the purpose of this definition, being a collaborative arrangement or arrangements with one or more medical practitioners of a kind or kinds also specified in the legislative instrument.

 

Nurse practitioner treatment is defined in item 74 of the Bill to mean ‘in relation to a nurse practitioner, .. treatment that the nurse practitioner is authorised (however described) to provide under a law of a State or an internal Territory.’