Abortion services in Queensland will receive more than $20 million to improve access for women seeking to terminate a pregnancy and to increase the sector's workforce.
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Hospitals and health services across Queensland will use the funding to recruit 22 full time nurses, midwives, social workers and senior medical officers.
"We already have wonderful health heroes making sure that women get access to great healthcare when it comes to termination of pregnancy," Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said.
"This is a boost to recognise now that we have passed legislation to enable nurses and midwives to prescribe MS2-Step, we are going to see more women coming forward to access this."
The legislation allows nurses and midwives to prescribe the medication, used to terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester.
It is expected to come into effect later in 2024.
In the past, only doctors have been able to prescribe MS2-Step.
Queensland non-profit organisation Children by Choice will also receive $8 million to improve access to abortion services around the state.
Chief executive Jill Mckay said despite Queensland decriminalising abortion in 2018, there were still barriers to accessing services.
"All people should be able to freely and safely make their own sexual and reproductive health choices without barriers," she said.
Ms Fentiman said allowing nurses and midwives to prescribe the medical abortion drugs meant women in regional and rural areas of the state would have greater access to the services.
"Being able to access services earlier means that they're going to have a far better experience," she said.
"They won't have to travel away from their communities to access what is lawful healthcare."
Australian Associated Press
