As we begin a new year, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary work nurses, midwives and care workers continue to do for their patients, their communities and for one another. In recent years, your collective effort and advocacy have driven some of the most significant reforms our professions have seen in decades.

From advances in gender equity and industrial relations, to long-awaited improvements in aged care and the expansion of scope of practice, your voices, expertise and commitment have shaped every gain. Yet despite all we have achieved together, too many reforms are still not being fully realised where they matter most- on the floor, at the bedside, and in the daily work of nurses and midwives across the country.

In 2026, the ANMF’s mission is clear: to ensure the reforms we’ve achieved are fully translated into reality — delivered where they matter most, for nurses, midwives, care workers and the communities they support.

That means enforceable standards, fair pay, safer workplaces and health-centred policies that deliver genuine, measurable improvements on the ground.

Aged care remains a core focus for the ANMF. Important improvements including 24/7 registered nurse coverage, mandated care minutes and significant wage increases through the Aged Care Work Value Case are reshaping the sector. But the real-world impact is inconsistent. Too often, providers continue to prioritise profit over care, staffing levels remain inadequate, and wage increases funded by taxpayers fail to reach workers.

The new Aged Care Act, introduced late last year, provides a stronger rights-based foundation, but major gaps remain. In 2026, the ANMF will continue pushing for enforceable staffing requirements, recognition of enrolled nurses, national registration for the unregulated workforce, and genuine transparency and accountability for every taxpayer dollar.

A top priority is workforce retention. Australia continues to face a critical nursing and midwifery shortage that undermines patient care, staff safety and the sustainability of health services. Without manageable workloads and enforceable minimum staffing levels, we cannot keep the workforce we have, let alone grow it. That is why the ANMF is calling for national minimum staffing levels across all healthcare settings, embedded into the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards so safe staffing becomes a universal requirement.

We will also continue to lead national advocacy for safer workplaces, including urgent action on occupational violence — one of the biggest factors driving nurses and midwives out of the professions.

Supporting students and early-career nurses and midwives remains essential. The introduction of the Commonwealth Prac Payment in 2025 was a major win, but it is only a first step. The ANMF will push to expand eligibility, ensure payments reflect the cost of living, and end placement poverty. We will also continue advocating for a freeze on higher education fees for nurses and midwives.

We are awaiting government action on several major workforce reforms — including the National Nursing Workforce Strategy, the Maternity Futures Report, and implementation of recommendations from the Unleashing the Potential of Our Health Workforce review. Fully realised, these reforms would strengthen the workforce and improve access to care across Australia.

Medicare reforms introduced in 2025 including expanded bulk billing and increased incentives will make timely care more accessible for many Australians. Nurses and midwives are central to delivering that care, particularly in primary health, mental health, urgent care clinics and in rural and remote communities.

We welcome the introduction of the RN prescribing standard, an important milestone in recognising nursing capability. But its success depends on appropriate access to Medicare and PBS arrangements. The ANMF will continue advocating for full MBS and PBS access for advanced practice nurses, nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives, alongside strengthened nurse- and midwife-led models of care.

The ANMF will continue advocating for gender equity. While progress has been made, we need fairer superannuation settings, workplace flexibility, reproductive health leave and stronger protections for women’s health needs. Our successful push for superannuation on government-funded paid parental leave was a major step forward, and in 2026 we will build on that by campaigning for universal paid reproductive health leave.

Further, the ANMF will continue to lobby for action on urgent Climate Change, and specific action on climate-related health risks. We will continue to stand up for human rights such as the protection of healthcare and healthcare workers in war zones through our Nurses and Midwives for Peace campaign. Additionally, we will work with Branches and the Australian Human Rights Commission to address racism in healthcare, a key driver of health inequity, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

While together, we have achieved extraordinary things, together we will also ensure these reforms deliver what they promised as we continue to shape a fairer, safer, more equitable future for the communities we serve.

Annie Butler
ANMF, Federal Secretary

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