2. Welcome
We pay our respects to the traditional owners
National Paramedic Stakeholder Reference
Group plus some new faces
Housekeeping
3. Policy development:
Victorian Department of Health & Human Services
Anne Louise Carlton
Meredith Carter
Vivienne Hadj and Kym Daly
Legislation
Queensland Department of Health: James Liddy
Administration
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: Andrea
Oliver
NSW Ministry of Health: Robin Flynn
4. Background to the National Law amendments
Consultation purpose and process
Overview of key reforms - paramedics
Overview of general reforms to the National
Law
Next steps
5. 2010 National Registration and Accreditation
Scheme established
2012-14 National Consultation re paramedics
2014 - 2015 Independent Review National
Scheme and Ministers’ Response
November 2015 Ministers agree to
paramedics in National Scheme on ‘opt in’
basis
October 2016 All Ministers agree to proceed
2017 Development of National Law
amendments :Stage 1
6. To inform finalisation of Bill implementing
Stage 1 reforms for Health Ministers’ approval
◦ Confidential consultation draft Bill – to be returned
at close of forums
◦ Summary of the draft Health Practitioner Regulation
National Law Amendment 2017– for public release
◦ Frequently asked questions (FAQs) – for public
release
Written feedback to cob 22 February
Stage 2 to commence later in 2017
7. Phase 1:Dec 2015- April 2016
Agree scope
Phase 2: April - October 2016
Settle policy parameters
Phase 3: 2016 –2017
Draft amendments to National Law.
Qld passes National Law. WA, SA
Phase 4: 2017 –2018
AHPRA to establish administrative arrangements
Registration commences late 2018
8. Paramedicine added to the definition of
‘health profession’ in the National Law
‘Paramedic’ becomes a protected title
New Part 13 includes ‘participation day’ – this
is the date registration commences
9. New s307 and s308 establish the
Paramedicine Board of Australia
The Board has:
◦ limited functions until the participation day
s308(1)&(3)
◦ same powers and functions as existing 14 Boards
from participation day.
New s.308 (2) allows Ministerial Council to
appoint practitioner members to the Board
prior to participation day
◦ Schedule 4 National Law deals with recruitment of a
Board
10. The new section 308(3) also provides the
powers for the Board to commence work.
It will consult the field and develop:
◦ Registration standards all applicants for registration
must meet under s38 National Law:
eg Continuing professional development, criminal
history, English language skills, recency of practice and
professional indemnity insurance, for recommendation
to Ministers; and
◦ Codes and guidelines under s39
11. The Board’s powers include determining
whether to engage an external accreditation
body or establish a committee (new s308(d))
and
approving the accreditation standards that
will set out the programs of study that
provide paramedics with the knowledge skills
and professional attributes to practise in
Australia.
12. New s.310, “Grand-parenting”
During the first three years of the scheme
provisions allow paramedics who are already
practising but do not hold a qualification
approved by the Board for general
registration under s53 to be granted general
registration
In addition some qualifications accepted for
general registration are specified in s.311
All applicants must meet all the other
registration standards determined by the
Board (s38 National Law)
13. New s312 - an administrative mechanism
allowing the Board to process early applications
from a date to be determined by the Board and
bring the registration cycle for paramedics into
line with the AHPRA registration cycle.
New s. 313 - provisions to protect applicants
against prosecution if the Board has not
considered their application for registration by
participation day, and
Under new s.314, a 90 day period of grace
applies if an application is late.
New s315 - mechanism allowing paramedics to
work or volunteer across borders if any
jurisdiction is delayed in joining the Scheme.
14. Improvements in governance arrangements
◦ A new power for Ministerial Council to change the
structure of National Boards by regulation
◦ Enable appointment of either community members
or practitioners to chair National Boards
Nursing and Midwifery recognised as separate
professions
◦ Governance continues with one Board
◦ Can continue to hold dual registration
15. Improved communication with notifiers was a
key recommendation of Independent Review
National Boards will now have greater
discretion to inform notifiers more fully of:
◦ Actions taken,
◦ The process and
◦ Reasons for decisions, not limited to outcomes
information on public register.
AHPRA and Boards to develop protocols
16. Powers to obtain broad practice information
Broader grounds for immediate action against
practitioner or student
◦ Current test: serious risk to persons
◦ New ground added: public interest (as in NSW)
Prohibition orders
◦ Can prohibit provision of any health service
◦ Offences: breach $30,000; $5,000 failure to inform
patients/employers (Similar to NSW)
◦ Mutual recognition in all jurisdictions
◦ Public registers to include prohibition orders
18. Feedback on the amendments can be sent to:
NRAS.Project@dhhs.vic.gov.au
Or posted to:
NRAS Review Implementation Project Secretariat
Workforce Regulation
Health and Human Services Workforce Branch
Department of Health and Human Services
GPO Box 4057
Melbourne VIC 3001
By 5.00pm 22 February 2017
Hinweis der Redaktion
Welcome everyone many of you have been to meetings with us before as members of the National Paramedic Registration Stakeholder Group. We’ve expanded that group slightly today so there may be some new faces and some people are on the telephone. We’d like to welcome you all including our consumer rep Jo Root at the end of the phone and all the paramedic and professional groups here today.
I would also like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I would also like to pay my respects to Elders both past and present, and any Elders here today.
Housekeeping – toilets, emergency exits, coffee and tea, finish time should be about 4pm
Reading the draft Bill
Where we refer to specific amendments in the PowerPoint slides we have listed the relevant clause and page number of the Bill in brackets so that you can quickly locate these in your copy of the Bill if need
Recording consultation feedback We will be recording the feedback raised at the consultation session today and the other forums.
Your feedback will be considered when finalising the draft Bill
Given that this is a national consultation forum, a summary of the feedback will be provided to the relevant intergovernmental committees, comprising all States and Territories and the Commonwealth.
The format today will involve us presenting on each of the key areas of reform in the Bill, with plenty of opportunity for discussion throughout
As we have a lot to cover, we will be appreciative of succinct questions and comments
If you have a question, please raise your hand, state your name and organisation.
Due to time constraints, we will need to keep discussions moving