Planning your parental leave

Training and employment 

• Training programs: Notify your college or training provider three to six months before leave to allow time for rotation and exam adjustments.
• Employer or practice communication: Discuss antenatal care needs, leave dates, and return-to-work arrangements.
• Contract review: Check employment contracts for leave entitlements and requirements.

Patient and referrer communication 

• Patient notification: Begin informing patients six months before leave, especially in GP specialist or non-GP specialist practice.
• Referrer updates: Notify regular referrers to promote continuity of patient care. 
• Care transitions: Arrange colleague coverage for ongoing patient needs. Communicate with your practice to understand the support and expectations for handover of patient care and follow up.

Registration and continued profession development (CPD) 

• Ahpra: Contact about potential reduced registration fees during leave.
• CPD planning: Consider exemptions for extended leave (6+ months continuous).
• Online learning: Avant members can access free CPD courses and webinars.

• Handover document: Create patient follow-up lists at least one month before leave.
• Recall management: Confirm process for managing patient recalls and test results with your employer or practice.
• Solo specialists: Arrange colleague coverage for ongoing patient care and handover.
• Communication plans: Set up systems for handling calls and enquiries.
• Emergency protocols: Prepare emergency handover for early labour or complications.

Healthcare planning 

• Birth preferences: Choose between public or private care and consider the type of birth you would like and communicate with your general practitioner about the next steps.
• Leave duration: Plan total leave time and whether to take it continuously or in stages.
• Insurance check: Contact your private health insurer to ask about cover for yourself and the baby, and waiting periods.
• Hospital bag: Pack a bag for the hospital and purchase the items you need for a baby. Here is a useful guide from Tressillian.  
• Documentation: Know yours and your partner's (if relevant) customer reference number for Centrelink and Medicare purposes. This will likely be more important post-birth if you do not access the Australian Governments maternity and paternity support.

Government entitlements 

• Parental leave pay: Apply up to three months before due date.
• Additional benefits: Explore Family Tax Benefit, partner leave, and childcare subsidies.
• MyGov setup: Link accounts to Centrelink and Medicare.

Financial planning 

• Budget assessment: Plan for reduced income and baby-related expenses.
• Property considerations: Discuss loan payment options with your lender to remove some of the pressure on you while you are not working.
• Emergency fund: Build buffer for unexpected costs.

Personal considerations: 

• Plan childcare options: Start looking at the childcare options and a childcare centre. Tour some centres and place your baby on the waitlist (sometimes there are long waitlists).
• Understand your support options: Consider joining a medical social media support page. Try not to research too much, everyone's journey is different.
• Consider pre-birth education: Consider pre-birth considerations about the birthing process for you, plus, breastfeeding education. In some states and council areas, breastfeeding education may be free to access.

• Birth registration: Register baby's birth and obtain Centrelink CRN.
• Medicare linking: Link baby to Medicare system.
• Health insurance updates: Add baby to private health insurance (within 60 days).
• Vaccination planning: Schedule based on state/territory requirements.
• Support networks: Lean into your support network and engage with new parent groups.  
• Estate planning: Review and update will and estate planning.
• Personal insurance review: Assess income protection, life, and TPD insurance.

• Locum or telehealth work: If you plan to do locum or telehealth work while on leave, contact your medical indemnity provider to understand and update your cover.
• Employment and training: Review how working may impact your employment contract and or training as approval may be required.

• Update your details: Contact your medical indemnity provider and update your details to ensure that you have appropriate indemnity arrangements in place.
• Communication: Keep employers, practices and training providers updated on return dates and what you will require to assist your return to work such as breast feeding support and flexible return options.
• CPD maintenance: Continue professional development through your CPD home.
• Patient notification: Work with your medical practice to inform your patients you have returned from leave.
• Transitioning to private practice: Some doctors use this time as an opportunity to plan a move to private practice. Avant can support this journey and provide complimentary support to navigate setting up systems and processes. Schedule a call with Avant's Risk advisory service to discuss your transition to private practice.
• You may have access to additional medical indemnity premium support through the governments Premium Support Scheme. Find out more information.

• Support network and childcare: It is common to experience sickness when a child starts daycare be prepared and ask for help.
• Government support: Complete your Childcare Subsidy paperwork through Centrelink.

ROCS provides no cost coverage for past practice. With a ROCS policy, you lose your Avant member benefits and must re-apply for insurance when returning. Keeping an Avant policy (even with limited cover) maintains your benefits and helps to make returning to work smoother. This also means that you will be eligible to take out Avant Travel Cover^ while you are on leave. 

Yes, but you'll need appropriate indemnity cover and should check how this affects government payments. The ‘Modified billings’ option might be suitable if you plan to work occasionally. 

Start notifying patients six months before your leave, especially if you're in general practice or private specialist. This gives them time to arrange alternative care and ensures continuity. 

Prepare an emergency handover document in advance. This should include urgent patient information, pending results, and contact details for covering colleagues. Keep this updated throughout your pregnancy.