2014/15 National Scheme annual report launched

05 Nov 2015

The 2014/15 annual report: AHPRA and National Boards has been published.

The report details the work of the National Boards and AHPRA in implementing the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme over the 12 months to 30 June 2015.

There are now more than 637,218 health practitioners registered to practise in Australia, from 14 different professions, representing overall growth of 2.9% over the past year.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia Presiding Member Bruce Davis said assurance, challenge and improvement in proportionate regulation remained the focus for National Boards.

‘As National Boards we strive to be a driving force for positive change and thought leadership in public safety and facilitating access to health services,’ Mr Davis said.

‘Our efforts continue to identify a range of activities to improve patient safety and the quality of regulation for health professions. This report helps to inform the public and health practitioners how we meet our objectives and responsibilities on their behalf,’ he said.

‘Information about each of these registered health practitioners is easily available to the community through the national online register,’ said Martin Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer of AHPRA.

‘Maintaining an up to date national register is one of the most important ways in which we protect the public.’

For the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health profession, the report reveals that:

• 391 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners were registered at the end of June 2015, with the highest number of health practitioners (215), based in the Northern Territory 
• seven notifications (concerns/complaints) were received about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners (excluding NSW where there is a co-regulatory system)¹ 
• five of the seven notifications were closed by the end of June 2015 
• of the five notifications closed under the National Scheme, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia, determined: 
• to take no further action or that the case was to be retained and managed by the health complaints entity in the relevant state or territory in three cases, 
• to issue a caution in the remaining two cases, and 
• no cases resulted in cancellation or suspension of registration. 
• the Board worked to ensure that all eligible individuals were made aware of the end of the grandparenting provisions on 30 June 2015 
• the Board approved the first three programs of study as providing a qualification that satisfies a graduate for general registration under the National Law, 
• the Board commenced work on the revision of registration standards, and 
• the Board successfully audited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners’ adherence to criminal history registration standard, with reassuring results.

The 2014/15 Annual Report includes a detailed report - including data - for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia.

A media release about the report - with data across professions and jurisdictions - is published on the AHPRA website.

A report, which presents the data specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice, will be published on the Board’s website before the end of the calendar year.

For more information

• Go to the AHPRA Annual Report 2014/15
• Read the National Scheme media release 
• Lodge an online enquiry form 
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 9275 9009 (overseas callers) 
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200

Download a PDF of this Media release - 2014/15 National Scheme annual report launched (209 KB,PDF)

¹NSW is part of the National Scheme but notifications about practitioners’ health, performance and conduct are handled by the HCCC and the NSW health professional councils supported by the HPCA.