October 10, 2026

annie butler

ANMF launches new landmark Work Value Case

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The ANMF seeks to follow up on the successful Aged Care Work Value Case with long-overdue wage increases for nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing (AIN) covered by the Nurses Award 2020.

The ANMF maintains that current wage rates under the Nurses Award 2020 no longer reflect the true value, complexity and responsibility of nursing and midwifery work and is seeking an increase in wages for all nurses, midwives and AINs (working outside of aged care) who are covered by the Award.

ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the case before the Fair Work Commission was being made on the basis that the work performed by nurses and midwives has been undervalued for many decades.

“The ANMF maintains the nature, skill and responsibility required to perform nursing and midwifery work in modern health settings, certainly justifies increases to award wages.”

Annie Butler said the case also seeks to ensure that the classification structure in the award is reflective of work value and provides for career progression, with the name of the award to be changed to the Nurses and Midwives Award, to recognise that it covers midwives.

The ANMF’s Aged Care Work Value Case resulted in nurses and PCWs working in aged care receiving minimum award rate increases of 15-30 per cent.

No more excuses: ACN and ANMF urge action on violence against healthcare workers amid doubling of assault hospitalisations

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New data showing the number of healthcare workers hospitalised after being assaulted at work has more than doubled in a decade confirms years of warnings about worsening safety of healthcare workers, say the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF).

National figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show assault has now climbed from the fourth to the second leading cause of hospitalisation for injuries among healthcare workers. By comparison, assault ranks seventh for the general Australian population.

Assault-related hospitalisations among healthcare workers rose from 49 in 2015–16 to 126 in 2024–25 – a jump in the rate from 4.3 to 8.1 per 100,000 healthcare workers.

“This should not be a wake-up call, because nurses and their colleagues have been sounding the alarm about this for years,” said ACN Chief Executive Officer, Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz FACN. “But this data definitively shows that there can be no more excuses for inaction.”

“Health services need to act now to rein in this epidemic of occupational violence. Health service boards must make addressing occupational violence a priority,” said Adjunct Professor Zeitz. “They need to closely monitor and respond to incidents against their staff and ensure that anti-occupational violence measures are being enforced and working.”

The ANMF said the findings of the AIHW report reinforced what the ANMF already knew was occurring in health and aged care settings across the country.

“Nurses, midwives and personal care workers continue to be attacked, abused and intimidated in their workplaces. We also know that workplace violence and aggression (WVA) is underreported, so the true scale of the problem could be much worse,” ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler explained.

“Occupational violence and aggression in the workplace is causing significant physical and psychological harm and trauma which is impacting health workers and their capacity to deliver care.”

There is also still work to be done to prevent injury of healthcare workers more broadly. The AIHW report found there were 7,416 injury hospitalisations among healthcare workers over the 10 years to 2024–25, including 819 in 2024–25 alone – a rate of 53 per 100,000 workers, or about 1 in 2,000.

“While rising hospitalisations for assault are the standout area of concern – we must do more to prevent falls, which is the leading cause of injury hospitalisation; as well as contact with objects such as knives, tools or machines,” said Adjunct Professor Zeitz.

“People who show up each day to care for others should not be subject to undue risk of harm to themselves. The unspoken stories here are of those who were injured and never returned to work.”
“And for our health system more broadly, we cannot afford to be losing nurses and their colleagues to preventable injury – particularly from violence.”

“Urgent action, including improved staffing levels, and additional security measures, is needed, so nurses, midwives and personal care workers are safe on the job. There must be zero tolerance for any form of WVA against frontline health workers,” Ms Butler added.

ANMF welcomes Legislation enabling PBS access for nurse-prescribed medicines

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The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has welcomed new landmark Legislation that now gives patients access to subsidised Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines prescribed by registered nurses.

The passing of the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025 in Federal Parliament marks another significant step-forward in allowing highly-qualified registered nurses to work to their full scope of practice.

The Legislation allows designated registered nurses (RNs) to prescribe medicines under the PBS, ensuring patients pay the same subsidised price for nurse‑prescribed medicines as they do for those prescribed by a doctor.

Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the ANMF had long-advocated for changes to prescribing practices for RNs, saying the reform will significantly improve access to equitable, timely and high‑quality care, particularly for people living in rural and regional parts of the country.

“This is a historic step forward for RNs and their patients,” Ms Butler said.

“Allowing endorsed RN prescribers to work to their full scope of practice and prescribe medicines under the PBS removes another outdated barrier, which will now ensure people can access medicines without the need to see a doctor.

“We believe the reform will be particularly impactful for people in rural and remote communities, aged‑care residents and those managing chronic conditions, who often face delays or barriers in accessing prescribers.

“This recognises the experience, skills and expertise of highly-qualified RNs and will allow people to benefit from a more timely, flexible prescribing pathway and we thank MPs and Senators for their support of the Legislation.”

Ms Butler said the ANMF also extended gratitude to ANMF members who have been involved the long-standing Campaign for changes to Scope of Practice.

Nurses and midwives showcase innovative healthcare solutions

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The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) joined nursing and midwifery leaders from across the country at Parliament House yesterday (Tuesday 30 June), for a ‘hands on’ demonstration of the high-quality, clinical capabilities of Australia’s largest health workforce.

The Parliamentary Friends of Nursing event in the Mural Hall, highlighted the growing role of nurses and midwives in delivering timely, effective health care across the community, enabling people to access high-quality care, when and where they need it.

ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the event demonstrated nurse and midwife-led models of care that demonstrate the impact they can have on health outcomes when nurses and midwives work to their full scope of practice.

“Nurses and midwives are at the frontline of healthcare and are uniquely placed to identify community needs and deliver innovative, person-centred solutions,” Ms Butler said.

“That’s why today’s event gives us the opportunity to showcase the breadth of skills, knowledge and expertise that nurses and midwives have and the important role they play in improving outcomes across the health and aged care sectors.”

The event featured a series of live demonstrations and exhibits, including advanced assessment and injury management skills, street healthcare services, remote care technology, aged care innovations and regional and remote healthcare models, such as the Women’s Health Mobile Clinic.

The Clinic’s nurses are helping close the gap in healthcare access for women and adolescents across rural and regional Victoria, providing sexual and reproductive health and general well-being care as well as cervical and bowel screenings.

“Australia’s health and aged care challenges require innovative, new models of care – and nurses and midwives must be part of the solution,” Ms Butler explained.

ANMF launches landmark Nurses and Midwives Work Value Case

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The country’s largest union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), today commenced its landmark Nurses and Midwives work value case before the Fair Work Commission (‘FWC’). The ANMF is seeking long-overdue wage increases for nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing (AIN), to recognise the true value of the work they perform across the Australian healthcare system.

The Application follows the successful outcome of the ANMF’s Aged Care work value case, which resulted in nurses and PCWs working in aged care receiving minimum award rate increases of 15 – 30%. The ANMF committed to ensuring that the same wage increases will apply to all nurses, midwives and AINs, regardless of work setting.

The ANMF maintains that current wage rates under the Nurses Award 2020 no longer reflect the true value, complexity and responsibility of nursing and midwifery work and is seeking an increase in wages for all nurses, midwives and AINs (working outside of aged care) who are covered by the Award.

Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the ANMF’s Application was being made on the basis that the work performed by nurses and midwives has been undervalued for many decades.

“We look forward to ANMF members from across the country and a wide range of health settings providing evidence about their changing work. From our perspective, this will demonstrate that nursing, midwifery and care work has become more complex and requires higher levels of responsibility and skill than previously,” Ms Butler explained.

“For example, the skills needed to provide nursing care have been characterised as ‘innate’ female qualities rather than skills. This landmark case will address the long-standing set of assumptions that have shaped wage setting in female dominated industries for far too long.

“The work of nurses and midwives has grown and intensified over the years, yet their wages have failed to keep pace and simply do not recognise the true value of the care they deliver. The ANMF maintains the nature, skill and responsibility required to perform nursing and midwifery work in modern health settings, certainly justifies increases to award wages.”

Ms Butler said the case also seeks to ensure that the classification structure in the award is reflective of work value and provides for career progression, with the name of the award to be changed to the Nurses and Midwives Award, to recognise that it covers midwives.

“The ANMF is proud to be running this important case on behalf of all members. The uplift of award wages will play a significant part in lifting wages for all nurses, midwives and AINs, together with overcoming the impact of historical gender-based undervaluation of nursing and care work,” Ms Butler added.

The hearing is scheduled to run over the next five days before an Expert Panel of the FWC in Melbourne.

ANMF minimum wage rise a ‘step in the right direction’ for low-paid care workers

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The country’s largest union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), says today’s decision by the Fair Work Commission (‘FWC’) to lift national minimum wages by 4.75%, will help boost the pay of frontline care workers.

While disappointed the FWC did not meet the ACTU’s claim of a 6% rise, ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the increase would provide some relief to low-paid ANMF members and other critical workers struggling to keep-up with soaring rents, groceries, energy and fuel costs.

“While not far above inflation, we believe the increase is a step in the right direction for our members earning minimum or award wages,” Ms Butler said.

“For ANMF members working in aged care and award reliant workers in other critical industries, who continue to deal with low wages and increasing workloads, it’s crucial that their wages continue to keep pace with every day, cost of living pressures.”

The new national minimum wage, now $26.44 per hour, will take effect from 1 July, with pay boosts for Award reliant and other workers to follow.

Ms Butler said the people most affected by this decision are essential service workers, majority female and in casual and part-time work arrangements.

“Although, there’s more work to do, today’s decision goes some way to acknowledging their critical contributions to Australian society.”

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