Senate Committee reports on national registration Bill

The Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee report on the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) was tabled in Parliament today.

The ADA Inc., ADAVB and various other ADA Branches made submissions to this Inquiry, and the federal President and CEO appeared before the committee to present evidence on the proposed legislation.

The 77 page report highlights a range of continuing concerns held by health professions about the legislation, and these are summarised for the benefit of the Parliament. In addition, the committee has made the following recommendations:

1. that the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council fully consider and evaluate the potential usefulness and feasibility of the proposed amendments to clauses 10(3) and 10(4)* of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Bill B), especially those proposed by the Australian Medical Association (AMA).
2. that the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council introduce a requirement into the proposed national registration and accreditation scheme (NRAS) that the reasons for issuing a direction in relation to an accreditation standard be made public.
3. that the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council ensure that the national registration and accreditation scheme (NRAS) contains sufficient flexibility for the composition of National Boards to properly reflect the characteristics and needs of the individual professions.

* These clauses relate to the power of the Ministerial Council to issue a policy direction to a Board in respect of an accreditation standard. Numerous submissions raised concern that this power could change standards in ways that are incompatible with protecting and improving public health and safety. The ADA recommended that clause 10(4) be deleted so as to remove entirely the power of the Ministerial Council to give a direction in relation to an accreditation standard.

The Bill is subject to further amendment as a result of consultative processes administered by the National Registration and Accreditation Implementation Project, and the revised version is due to be presented, initially to the Queensland Parliament, before the end of 2009.

ADAVB submissions regarding the NRAS proposals can be found here.