The service supported approximately 5260 newborns (of which approx. 5.04% were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander newborns) from three pilot hospitals (Centenary Hospital for Women and Children in the ACT, Townsville and Gold Coast University Health Services in QLD) to be enrolled in Medicare, through use of birth data from the hospital, removing the need for parents to lodge a newborn enrolment form. The service also includes creation of a myHealth record, Individual Healthcare Identifier and Immunisation Registration for the newborn. Since March 2022, the service has supported proof of birth for Centrelink family assistance claims for 140 newborns in total from across the population, removing the need for parents to lodge a newborn enrolment form. Engagement and co-design activities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and relevant government/service providers/advocacy groups on the design of the service has commenced with a co-design workshop held in Darwin in September 2022.
Having a Baby Life Event service
Action description:
Outcome:
Outcome 02
Status:
Existing
Is this Indigenous specific?:
Yes
Indicators:
Progress to Parity
Responsible Ministers:
Minister for Government Services
Resourcing:
Costs are to be absorbed within existing resources
Delivery timeframe:
In 2022-23 financial year, MyGov functionality was incorporated into the service in September 2022 to enable more birth mothers to participate. The MyGov task enables participants who have been discharged from hospital without naming their baby to provide their baby's name at a later date through MyGov. The Birth Registration solution of the Having a Baby Life Event service will delivered in 2023. An evaluation of the pilot has commenced and will be completed in February 2023.A draft national rollout plan has been developed for the service in collaboration with state and territory jurisdictions. The service will be expanded to on-board more hospitals and jurisdictions, and to reach more cohorts (such as rural/remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander birth parents).
Agency:
Services Australia