The Royal Commission found that access to forensic examination services was limited in some regional areas because only medical practitioners and registered nurses were authorised to perform the procedures.

This often left victim-survivors facing lengthy waits or travelling significant distances to access a forensic examination following a sexual assault.

As a result, victims would either have to wait long periods for an eligible healthcare profession to become available or travel long distances to neighbouring regions or metropolitan areas to receive the required forensic examination – prolonging an already traumatic experience and hindering access to therapeutic support.

The State Government has now expanded the scope of practitioners who can conduct forensic medical examinations to include midwives, fulfilling Recommendation 55 of the Royal Commission.

The change will improve access to trauma-informed care, particularly in regional communities, while also supporting the timely collection of evidence for potential criminal proceedings.

This reform builds on an initiative already underway in response to Royal Commission recommendations, with a multi-agency trial of early evidence kits rolling out across the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network (FUNLHN). This trial aims to inform the development of a statewide regional model that ensures victim-survivors in regional and remote areas can access timely, trauma-informed forensic medical care following a sexual assault.