The NSW Government will start offering a $20,000 sign-on bonus for midwives who choose to relocate and start work in rural, regional and remote NSW on 30 September.

The agreement is part of the Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme running until 31 March 2025, to entice healthcare workers to move to rural and remote areas. 

The NSW Government has also invested an additional $200.1 million to deliver more health worker accommodation in these communities.

“I’ve said this countless times, worker shortages in our regional, rural, and remote communities are the biggest single challenge facing our health system," the Minister for Health Ryan Park said.

"With this innovative trial, we are looking at new ways to fill critical vacancies in our regions to build a stronger and more supported regional health workforce." 

 NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) Gilgandra District Hospital Branch President Sheree Staggs said that a sign-on bonus has worked in Gilgandra before to attract more nurses.

"It is a great incentive and it's definitely worthwhile for the midwives to grab that extra pay," she said. 

"We've had international nurses come and we're finally getting a little bit of relief. But other facilities like Coonamble and Warren are still struggling." 

Ms Staggs said that although a sign-on bonus is a good incentive to get people on the job, already employed staff also need a retention bonus to keep them there. 

She is also concerned that the sign-on bonus could pull away midwives who are needed in the city. 

"Statewide there are shortages of nurses and midwives everywhere," she said.

"I feel that the city hospitals that are understaffed and can't get midwives would be quite angry about it. It’s a bit robbing Peter to pay Paul."

On 24 September, the NSWNMA took to Sydney streets and went on strike for 24 hours to protest for a 15 per cent pay increase for nurses and midwives.

Nurses from across NSW join the protest in Sydney. Photo supplied.

"They're all going to Queensland and Victoria where you get paid better," MS Staggs said.

Nurses from across the state joined the protest, which was held as well in Tweed and Albury. 

“We really just want want to get back to work and do what we do best and that’s care of the patients under our care in NSW,” Ms Staggs said.