National Registration and Accreditation Scheme
This page has been closed to further update
For further Information on implementation please visit www.ahpra.gov.au
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) at its meeting of 26 March 2008 took a major step towards improving Australia’s health system by signing an Intergovernmental Agreement on the health workforce.
The new system will for the first time create a single national registration and accreditation system for ten health professions: chiropractors; dentists (including dental hygienists, dental prosthetists and dental therapists); medical practitioners; nurses and midwives; optometrists; osteopaths; pharmacists; physiotherapists; podiatrists; and psychologists. The new arrangement will help health professionals move around the country more easily, reduce red tape, provide greater safeguards for the public and promote a more flexible, responsive and sustainable health workforce. For example, the new scheme will maintain a public national register for each health profession that will ensure that a professional who has been banned from practising in one place is unable to practise elsewhere in Australia.
COAG Communique - 26th March 2008 (pdf, 92k)
Intergovernmental Agreement
Registration and accreditation scheme for the health professions (pdf, 123k)
Ministerial Statements
Extract from Australian Health Ministers' Conference Communique - 4 September 2009 (pdf, 25kb)
Communique - Design of new National Registration and Accreditation Scheme - 8 May 2009. (pdf, 44k)
Extract from Australian Health Ministers' Conference Communique - 5 March 2009. (pdf, 20k)
Appointments to the Agency Management Committee - 5 March 2009. (pdf, 32k)
Legislation
First stage national law (from now until 1 July 2010)
The Health Practitioner Regulation (Administrative Arrangements) National Law Act 2008 (Act A) commenced on Royal Assent on 25 November 2008, giving effect to the administrative arrangements for the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for the Health Professions. The Act was passed in the Queensland Parliament.
Act A was recently updated to include minor amendments made by Act B (see below) and can be accessed online at: http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/H/HealthPracRAA08.pdf.
Act A will remain in force until repealed by Act B on 1 July 2010.
Second stage national law (from 1 July 2010 onwards)
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Act B) received Royal Assent on 3 November 2009.
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (the National Law) is contained in the Schedule to Act B and can be accessed online at:
http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/H/HealthPracRNA09.pdf.
The National Law will take effect on 1 July 2010.
This legislation continues the administrative arrangements established under Act A and provides for the full operation of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, including registration and accreditation arrangements, complaints, conduct, health and performance arrangements, privacy and information sharing arrangements, and transitional arrangements.
Act B in Queensland also provided for the adoption of the National Law in Queensland. Queensland does not require further legislation to adopt the National Law.
Explanatory notes for this legislation can be accessed online at:
http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/Bills/53PDF/2009/HealPraRegNLB09Exp.pdf.
The Regulatory Impact Statement for the decision to implement the National Law can be accessed online here.
Third stage legislation (adopting legislation) correct as at 11 December 2009
The national legislation for the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme is being implemented in three stages – the final stage will see each State and Territory introduce Bills into their Parliaments to adopt the National Law as a law of that jurisdiction. These Bills are collectively known as “Bills C”. This page will be updated as the other States and Territories progressively introduce their Bills C into their Parliaments.
Bills C passed through State and Territory Parliaments
State/Territory |
Bill Passed |
Royal Assent |
Website links |
Queensland |
Queensland, through the second stage legislation, has adopted the National Law as a law of Queensland taking effect from 1 July 2010. Therefore, its Bill C will not need to do this. |
||
New South Wales |
11/11/09 |
19/11/09, with commencement on 1 July 2010 |
The Health Practitioner Regulation Act 2009 is accessible from the NSW Legislation website: http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/maintop/search/sessional |
Victoria |
27/11/09 (Legislative Council) |
08/12/09, with commencement on 1 July 2010 |
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Victoria) Act 2009 is available from the Victorian Law Today website: http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/ (select Victorian Statute Book, select 2009, scroll down to the Act). |
Bills C introduced into State and Territory Parliaments
State/Territory |
Bill Status |
Website links |
Tasmania |
Awaiting debate in Tasmanian Legislative Council |
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Tasmania) Bill 2009 is available from the Tasmanian Parliament website: http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/bills/pdf/93_of_2009.pdf |
Northern Territory |
Awaiting debate. Introduced into the Legislative Assembly on 26/11/09. |
The Health Practitioner Regulation (National Uniform Legislation) Bill 2009 and its Explanatory Statement are available from the NT Parliament website: http://www.dcm.nt.gov.au/strong_service_delivery/ supporting_government_register_of_legislation |
Australian Capital Territory |
Awaiting debate. Introduced into Assembly on 10/12/09. |
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (ACT) Bill 2009 and its Explanatory Statement are available from the http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/b/db_36300/default.asp |
Calls for nominations and expressions of interest
Now available on the left hand menu, or by clicking here.
Agency Management Committee of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
For information on and statements by the Agency Management Committee, please go to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website, www.ahpra.gov.au.
Calls for submissions and submissions received
Now available on the left hand menu, or by clicking here.
Project Update
Project update as at December 17 ,2009 (pdf, 29k)
Project update as at 30 June 2009 (pdf, 33k)
Project Update, March 2009 (pdf, 40k)
Update On Implementation, December 2008 (pdf, 18k)
Tenders called and awarded
Tender approved for national registation system June 2009 (pdf, 27k)
Changes to implementation arrangements from 1 January 2010
At the end of 2009, the policy and legislative phase of the implementation work of governments will be largely complete. The National Registration and Accreditation Implementation Project (NRAIP) offices in Brisbane and Canberra will close and members of the policy and legislation team in Brisbane and the project executive team in Canberra will leave the project.
The Governance Committee for the project has agreed that its role will now move back to the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC). Mick Reid, Director-General of Queensland Health, will continue to be the AHMAC member with special responsibilities for the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for the Health Professions (NRAS). AHMAC will be supported by an NRAS sub-committee, chaired by Peter Boyce from the Northern Territory. This sub-committee will, for example, oversee the development of regulations to be made ahead of commencement of the national law.
Meanwhile, the Governance Committee has agreed to hand over to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), from 1 January 2010, all matters relating to implementation of NRAS, with one exception. This means that the NRAIP team in Melbourne, funded by governments, will be working to Martin Fletcher, the CEO of AHPRA until they complete their work on 30 June 2010. The NRAIP team will then be working with the full authority of the Agency.
The one exception to these arrangements will be the development of the IT systems necessary for successful commencement. Since governments have fully funded all necessary IT systems and have accepted the financial risk associated with their development, the NRAIP implementation team will continue to report to governments on IT systems until the handover from governments to AHPRA in mid-2010. The IT Reference Group, chaired by Tony Sherbon, Chief Executive of the South Australian Department of Health, will continue to operate in close cooperation with AHPRA until the handover of the IT system.
Future updates on implementation
For all updated information on implementation from 1 January 2010, please see the AHPRA website, www.ahpra.gov.au. No new information will be posted on the NRAIP website from that date.
Changed contact details
From 7 December 2009, the project contact details will be through AHPRA with details as follows:
| Telephone | 1 300 419 495 |
| Website | www.ahpra.vic.gov.au |
This page has been closed to further update
For further Information on implementation please visit www.ahpra.gov.au
