New Program Boosts Rural Midwives in Queensland

• The Crisafulli Government is strengthening, growing and supporting a future-ready midwifery workforce in the regions.
• The new Midwifery Clinical Facilitator Program will create leadership roles for experienced midwives while adding more than 50 new graduate midwifery positions in regional and rural Queensland.
• The initiative responds directly to the findings of the Health Workforce Gap Analysis, which revealed rural communities and maternity services were left on life support under the former Labor Government.
• The Crisafulli Government is restoring vital health services when you need them after a decade of decline under Labor.

The Crisafulli Government is delivering easier access to health services by strengthening Queensland's midwifery workforce, with a new Midwifery Clinical Facilitator Program to grow, support and retain midwives in regional and rural communities. The program will fund new clinical facilitator positions across Townsville, Cairns and Hinterland, Central Queensland, Darling Downs, Mackay and West Moreton Hospital and Health Services, boosting local training capacity and helping more midwives build careers closer to home. The initiative responds directly to Queensland Health's Workforce Gap Analysis, which found that after Labor's decade of decline, demand for midwives is projected to increase by more than 50 per cent by 2032, with regional and rural areas facing the greatest pressure due to workforce gaps and a significant proportion of midwives at or approaching retirement. Clinical Midwife Facilitators are experienced registered midwives who support, mentor and assess students and graduates during their clinical placements, acting as a critical bridge between training and frontline care. By expanding supervision and support on the ground, the program will complement the rollout of midwife-to-patient ratios, by enabling up to 56 additional graduate midwives to be trained and recruited into regional and rural hospitals - one of the largest midwifery boosts in years.

In 2025, Townsville HHS was one of the first in the state to begin rolling out the new midwife-to-patient ratios, an initiative kept alive through the Crisafulli Government's $48.7 million investment after the former Labor Government had legislated the ratios change but failed to fund them.

As other health services across the State prepare to introduce these staff ratios, it is critical that there are enough midwives and that they are practising where they are needed most.

There are already early signs that the Crisafulli Government's swift and targeted actions are making a positive difference. Queensland Health's midwifery graduate numbers have grown by more than 60 per cent compared to 2024, with more expected to join throughout the year. Townsville HHS recorded the largest increase, with 21 new midwifery graduates joining in 2026, almost double the 2024 intake. Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said initiatives like the Clinical Facilitator Program were part of the Crisafulli Government's plans to rebuild the workforce pipeline after years of neglect under the former Labor Government and deliver stronger maternity services where they are needed most. "Our Workforce Gap Analysis made clear that without targeted action, Queensland will face worsening shortfalls in key frontline and maternity roles like midwifery, particularly in regional and rural communities," Minister Nicholls said. "After Labor neglected healthcare in the regions for a decade, the Crisafulli Government is restoring health services where you need them by delivering practical solutions to grow our own workforce, support our existing students and clinicians, and ensure Queensland families can access safe and high-quality health care, including maternity care, closer to home." Member for Mundingburra Janelle Poole said the Clinical Facilitator Program was about backing the local workforce.

"This program will make sure more midwives can train and stay right here in Townsville, so families can access high-quality maternity care close to home," Ms Poole said. Member for Thuringowa Natalie Marr said supporting a homegrown health workforce in North Queensland was pivotal to the Crisafulli Government's plan to heal Labor's Health Crisis.

"These clinical facilitator roles will help students and graduates to build their careers locally and ensure we have a local workforce in place to support the community now and well into the future," Ms Marr said Member for Townsville Adam Baillie said that despite having a decade to act, Labor had failed to deliver a viable plan for Queensland's health workforce and had even downgraded several birthing services across the State's rural communities.

"Regional parents deserve regional care. Our communities face unique workforce challenges and initiatives like the Clinical Facilitator Program and properly funded midwife-to-patient ratios ensure North Queensland continues to attract, train and retain the midwives our community relies on," Mr Baillie said.