The program, established in 2006 and operating in
metropolitan and regional Victoria, was originally funded through
nurses' and
midwives' registration fees. With the introduction of national
registration for
nurses and midwives, the then Health Minister Daniel Andrews secured
three years continuing funding through the sale of the Nurses Board of
Victoria property assets in the lead up to national registration of
health
practitioners in 2010. Funding for the program was due to run out in
June 2013.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
(NMBA) announced yesterday afternoon that it would provide 12 months
funding to
enable the program to continue operating until June 2014.
ANF (Vic Branch) Acting Secretary Paul Gilbert
said: "This program has removed the stigma of nurses and midwives
seeking help
for sensitive health issues and created an early self-referral culture
that
protects patients and keeps nurses and midwives well and in their
professions.
"We need to be clear that we continue to see that
the Board's role is to protect the public and support the professions of
nursing and midwifery to ensure that this program not only continues,
but
expands across the country.
"The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law
provides the Board with the discretionary ability to fund and support
health
programs for nurses, midwives and nursing and midwifery students," Mr
Gilbert
said.
"ANF will be making a freedom of information
application to the Board for a copy of the ‘Siggins Report' so that we
can
clearly understand the rationale which helped inform its decision not to
permanently fund and expand this health program that has successfully
run for
the last six years," he said.
"ANF will now also focus its attention on
Victorian Health Minister David Davis, a strong supporter of this
program, to
ensure he fulfils the Coalition Government's 2010 election commitment to
demand
the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and the Australian Health
Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) permanently and fully fund
Victoria's
unique Nursing and Midwifery Health Program. Minister Davis will have an
opportunity to raise these important issues concerning AHPRA and the
NMBA at the
next Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council (AHMAC) meeting in
November.
"ANF is committed to securing permanent funding
of this critical health program to protect patients, support nurses and
midwives and help employers and the State Government," Mr Gilbert said.
"The alternatives to this program being
considered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
(AHPRA) will
not meet the specific needs of nurses and midwives," Mr Gilbert said.
Annual funding for the NMHPV is $500,00 or approximately $6 per nurse and midwife. About 80 per cent of
nurses
and midwives who have used the program remained at work, returned to
work or
have a plan to return to work. The Victorian Government estimates the
cost of replacing
a nurse is $100,000.
"Given that nursing and midwifery registration
fees have almost doubled in the last few years, this is a very small
price to
pay for such a critical health program," Mr Gilbert said.
Nursing and Midwifery Health Program Victoria report card
Since opening its doors in August 2006, located
in St Vincent's public hospital's small private offices suites, the
NMHPV has:
- facilitated
814 individual episodes of care for nurses, midwives and students,
supporting them with their sensitive health issues related to substance
use and mental health concerns
- provided
approximately 280 participants with additional telephone support and
assistance between appointments
- facilitated
a weekly peer group support program to participants, where
approximately
170 individuals have attended
- provided
information and support to over 100 individual employers, assisting
them
in managing the health and welfare of their nursing / midwifery staff
in
the context of their ongoing employment. (The term ‘employer' in this
instance includes Director of Nursing, Nurse Unit Manager, supervisor
or
equivalent)
- taken
several hundred calls from practitioners, concerned colleagues,
employers,
other health professionals, family and friends, who were seeking
assistance and information regarding an impaired or potentially
impaired
practitioner.
Of those participants who have completed an
episode of care with the Nursing and Midwifery Health Program Victoria:
- 89% of nurse participants
entered into a positive therapeutic relationship, which involved
ongoing
personal support and / or case management
- 66% of nurse participants
displayed a significant behavioural change that resulted in an improved
health status at completion
- 81% of nurse participants
were either supported to remain at work, returned to work or had a plan
to
return to work in nursing.
