Registration

From 1 July 2012 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners must be registered under the national registration and accreditation scheme with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia and meet the Board's Registration Standards, in order to practise in Australia.

Your registration will be recognised in all the States and Territories of Australia.

Who should be registered?

The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law), requires a practitioner to be registered if they wish to, or their employer requires them to use one of the protected titles. The protected titles are:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner
• Aboriginal health practitioner, and
• Torres Strait Islander health practitioner.

A practitioner may be required to be registered as part of their employment requirements, even if the protected title is not used.

The current wording implies that an employer must have their staff use a protected title for anyone performing the functions of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner. In fact, an employer may call a job anything they like, but if the employer requires the practitioner to hold registration as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner as a requirement of the job, the practitioner must be registered to be employed. While the employer’s requirements are not part of the National Law, it is another situation that may apply to a practitioner without using a protected title.

Application forms for general registration are now available for downloading.

Further information on the registration process is available on the AHPRA website.

See National Board's FAQ for more information about the scheme.