Tuesday, 30 August 2022

 Ms TAYLOR (Southern Metropolitan) (13:05): Every health system in the country is under enormous pressure due to the pandemic, so the best thing we can do to support our hardworking staff is to give them more support on the ground. We all know we cannot deliver a health system with empty hospitals, which is why we are investing in hardworking nurses and midwives, who are helping Victorian patients every single day. So what does this involve? In a $270 million boost to our health system, more than 17 000 nurses and midwives will be recruited and trained as part of a massive hiring and upskilling initiative, building up our homegrown health workers to care for Victorians. More than 10 000 students will have the cost of their nursing or midwifery undergraduate studies paid for, while scholarships will be available for thousands more who complete postgraduate studies in areas of need, including intensive care, cancer care, paediatrics and nurse practitioner specialties. All new domestic students enrolling in a professional entry nursing or midwifery course in 2023 and 2024 will receive a scholarship of up to $16 500 to cover course costs.

Mr Leane: Fantastic. That’s awesome.

Ms TAYLOR: It is, isn’t it. Students will receive $9000 while they study and the remaining $7500 if they work in Victorian public health services for two years. More midwives will join the workforce through an expanded postgraduate midwifery incentive program, which will provide scholarships to cover course costs and salary support for 150 existing nurses to continue working while they complete their specialist studies in midwifery.