How to become a private midwife: the steps

Privately practising midwife

A privately practising midwife, a PPM, is a registered midwife working for herself or for a private practice instead of a hospital. The NMBA's guidelines say "PPMs can be sole practitioners, work in partnership models, operate their own business and/or attend homebirths as the second health practitioner." The first step is general registration as a midwife with the NMBA. Everything below sits on top of it.

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Safety and quality guidelines for privately practising midwives, advance copy effective 1 January 2027 (page reviewed 1 October 2026), read 27 October 2026.

The rules change on 1 January 2027. New Safety and quality guidelines replace the old ones that day, and the NMBA has published an advance copy. This page reads the business side of that copy, what you set up, pay for and keep. The clinical duties in it are for your own reading.

Midwife professional indemnity insurance

Insurance is the change that matters most. Since 2010, some homebirth midwives could attend the birth itself without insurance under a transition exemption. That ends with 2026. The NMBA says "from 1 January 2027, all privately practising midwives will be required to hold insurance for all aspects of their practice, including for the provision of intrapartum care during a homebirth."

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Fact sheet, professional indemnity insurance arrangements (page reviewed 1 April 2026), read 27 October 2026.

Antenatal and postnatal care always needed cover, only the birth was exempt. And when you stop private practice, the insurance doesn't stop with you. "PPMs who cease private practice must have appropriate run-off cover for matters arising from previous practice as a PPM that would otherwise not be covered."

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Fact sheet, professional indemnity insurance arrangements (page reviewed 1 April 2026), read 27 October 2026.

Before each planned homebirth

From 2027, three things are on you before a homebirth, and each one leaves a record.

Your own obstetric emergency, adult basic life support and newborn resuscitation training, done within 2 years of each episode of care
A second registered health practitioner, engaged before the birth, current in the same 3 and insured for homebirth
The distance and travel time from the planned place of birth to an appropriate hospital, written down when you accept the woman's care

The guidelines say "Prior to a homebirth, PPMs must engage a second health practitioner registered under the National Law", and "PPMs must consider and document the distance and time to travel from the woman's planned place of birth to an appropriate hospital." Budget for the second practitioner when you set your fee.

Eligible midwife and Medicare provider number

Medicare is a further step, and optional. To bill it you need the NMBA's endorsement for scheduled medicines first. The registration standard asks for 3 things.

Current general registration as a midwife with no conditions about performance or conduct
"the equivalent of three years’ full-time clinical practice (5,000 hours) in the past six years"
An NMBA-approved program of study for the endorsement, or one the NMBA accepts as equivalent

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Registration standard, endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives (in force from 1 January 2017), read 27 October 2026.

An endorsed midwife can then become a participating midwife. The Health department lists what billing Medicare needs, to "complete approved education", "be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia" and "have a Medicare provider number". Prescribing on the PBS needs a separate prescriber number.

Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Medicare access for participating midwives (last updated 17 June 2025), read 27 October 2026.

You apply through HPOS with a PRODA account, or on Services Australia's form HW088 if you can't apply online. Services Australia says "You must apply for a unique provider number for each practice location and profession you provide services in."

Source: Services Australia, form HW088, application for a Medicare provider number for eligible nurse practitioners and midwives, read 27 October 2026.

Older guides still say you need a collaborative arrangement with a doctor. That ended on 1 November 2024, when "the legislated need for collaborative arrangements between participating midwives, nurse practitioners and medical practitioners to provide Medicare Benefits Schedule services and prescribe Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medications was removed."

Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Collaborative arrangements (last updated 6 June 2025), read 27 October 2026.

Medicare-covered visits change your GST too. How that works, visit by visit, is in GST on massage and midwifery.

Midwife CPD requirements

A midwife needs 20 hours of CPD a year. With the endorsement for scheduled medicines it's 30, the extra 10 "relating to context of practice, prescribing and administration of medicines, diagnostics investigations, and consultation and referral". Registered as a nurse too, it's 20 for each, 40 in all. The NMBA "recommends that you keep evidence of CPD, including self-directed learning, for a period of five years."

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, CPD FAQ for nurses and midwives (page reviewed 18 June 2024), read 27 October 2026.

Renewing registration

Registration renews once a year, "by 31 May each year", however recently you registered. Ahpra emails you when online renewal opens and reminds you through the renewal period, so keep your email address current with them. With the endorsement, each renewal also asks you to declare you still meet its ongoing rules, insurance and CPD included.

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Renewal FAQ for nurses and midwives (page reviewed 24 March 2026), read 27 October 2026.

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Registration standard, endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives (in force from 1 January 2017), read 27 October 2026.

Keeping records

A midwife's notes are health information, and the rules for keeping them run longer than tax records. In NSW, a private health service provider keeps an adult's health information "for 7 years from the last occasion when a health service was provided". If it was collected before the person turned 18, it's kept "until the patient is 25 years old". A baby's notes fall under the second rule.

Source: NSW Information and Privacy Commission, A guide to retention and storage of health information in NSW for private health service providers (October 2025), read 27 October 2026.

The federal privacy law reaches you too, whatever your size. Most businesses under $3 million turnover are outside the Privacy Act, but the OAIC says "Regardless of turnover, the Privacy Act covers any business that is: a health service provider". The 2027 guidelines add that records must stay private, "including ensuring responsible use of any artificial intelligence tools utilised for record keeping purposes".

Source: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Small business, read 27 October 2026.

Your PPM portfolio

From 2027 the guidelines ask every PPM to keep a portfolio, and the NMBA can audit it. It must hold a record of at least these.

A professional practice review, a peer or case review, at least every 2 years
Your emergency, life support and newborn resuscitation training
Evidence you follow the ACM National Midwifery Guidelines for Consultation and Referral
Evidence you meet each requirement in the guidelines

Keep it in one folder from the day you start, with your insurance certificate, CPD log and each homebirth's second practitioner and hospital distance beside it.

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General information about the business side of private practice, not legal, insurance or clinical advice. It reads the NMBA, Health department, Services Australia and privacy regulator pages as published on 27 October 2026, and the 2027 guidelines from the NMBA's advance copy. The NMBA and your insurer decide what applies to you.

How to become a private midwife in Australia: the business steps