Australia's New National Regulation and Accreditation Scheme
Australia’s new national registration and accreditation scheme begins on 1 July 2010.
From this date, a new National Law (the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009) will come into effect and 10 health professions will be regulated by the same piece of legislation.
For the first time, there will be one National Board setting standards and policies for the regulation of all nurses and midwives registered in Australia. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) will be supported in this task by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), which will be providing services to each of the National Boards. The NMBA will also be supported by State Boards, which will continue to make decisions about individual notifications and registration issues, guided by national policy and delegations.
In effect, Australia is simplifying its professional regulatory system. We are moving from more than 85 health profession boards, in eight States and Territories, governed by 66 Acts of Parliament, to one national scheme with 10 National Boards, all governed by a National Law.
This is an exciting and important time for nursing and midwifery regulation in Australia. For the first time, there will be a national fee, national registration and professional standards and one registration process for all nurses and midwives across Australia. Behind the scenes, substantial work, detailed planning and intense collaboration is supporting the transition to the new national scheme.
The existing State and Territory Registration Boards are working with AHPRA and the national boards to support the safe introduction of the new scheme. The new scheme will bring:
- Mobility: 300,000+ nurses and midwives will be able to register once and practise across Australia
- Consistency: there will be new national standards for registration and professional conduct
- Public protection: there will be national online registers for each of the 10 professions in the national scheme.
- These registers will be accessible to the public. There will be new mandatory requirements for professional indemnity, continuing professional development, student registration and mandatory reporting of registered practitioners and students in specific circumstances
- Collaboration: greater opportunities for more sharing, learning and understanding between professions through collaboration between the national boards and their chairs
- Efficiency: a streamlined and effective administrative system will support the 10 National Boards