NSW Crackdown on unregistered health practitioners

Unregistered health practitioners will be the target of a new crackdown by the NSW Government.

In a media release announcing this initiative, NSW Minister for Health John Hatzistergos said "the NSW Government is also clamping down on doctors and other registered health providers who have been struck off for unprofessional behaviour or misconduct but continue to work in other related (unregulated) health services"

The Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) will be given a range of powers to get tough on unregistered health practitioners including counsellors and psychotherapists, massage therapists, naturopaths and herbalists as well as Reiki therapists and homeopaths.

The HCCC will have the authority to:
> Black-ban unregistered practitioners
> Publicly name and shame unregistered practitioners
> Carry out tougher, wide-sweeping investigations of unregistered health practitioners
> Enforce its own disciplinary action against unregistered practitioners

Mr Hatzistergos said that as part of the new crackdown, a code of conduct will also be introduced for unregistered healthcare practitioners. "In addition we are placing restrictions on doctors and other health providers who have been struck off the register for unprofessional behaviour or misconduct," he said.

Disciplinary tribunals will now have the power to ban these people from practicing in any health related field. A draft Bill will be released shortly for consultation with stakeholders.