Health Minister Shannon Fentiman
The Miles Government is putting the health and safety of Queensland women and pregnant people front and centre, with a $20.78 million investment to bolster access to abortion service and support workforce. Recruitment is underway for up to 22 full time nurses, midwives, social workers and senior medical officers across the state’s Hospital and Health Services.
An additional $8 million in funding has been awarded to the local NGO Children by Choice to provide crucial wrap-around support and improved access to safe abortion services.
Up to one third of Australian women experience an unintended pregnancy in their lifetime, and in one in three of these pregnancies, women will choose termination of pregnancy.
This funding of between $1 million and $1.6 million for each Hospital and Health Service, will see the new specialist positions work closely with patients to navigate their care options and access time-critical abortion services. This significant investment follows landmark law reforms to enable suitably qualified nurses and midwives to perform termination of pregnancy using drugs such as MS2-Step, in the early stages of pregnancy. The funding is part of the Miles Labor Government’s $41.8 million investment to support the implementation of the Termination of Pregnancy Action Plan 2032 announced in March this year.
These laws will come into effect in the second half of 2024 and will have a real impact for women and pregnant people, with fewer people having to travel to access this healthcare, particularly in rural and remote areas of Queensland.
As stated by the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman: “I am so proud to be part of the Miles Government that decriminalised abortion and correctly positioned abortion as healthcare. Abortion is a very personal choice, and every Queenslander deserves the level of support and care we are offering with this investment. Our health heroes do an incredible job, providing compassionate care to their communities every day and we want to support them to continue to deliver the healthcare Queenslanders deserve with more staff in more regions. As the Minister for Women, it is extremely important to me that Queenslanders have access to safe, world-class pregnancy and reproductive healthcare – and that’s what this investment will do! ….These hard-earned rights have been called for by women over decades, and the Miles Labor Government has delivered.”
As stated by the CEO of Children by Choice, Jill McKay: “All people should be able to freely and safely make their own sexual and reproductive health choices without barriers. The decriminalisation of abortion was a landmark moment in Queensland history and correctly acknowledges that abortion is a healthcare issue. Despite this, the community still experience barriers to accessing this important healthcare. Children by Choice is so pleased to see the Queensland Government has made a clear commitment, backed by significant investment, to support more equitable access to abortion.”
SOURCE: Mirage News, 6 July 2024; PHOTO: News.com.au, 8 July 2024.