Reflections on 15years of National Health Practitioner Regulation in Australia.

Abstract

National regulation of health practitioners in Australia is 15years old. Raising the bar on public safety, national mobility and responding to future workforce needs were drivers of transformational reform. As the national regulatory scheme has progressively matured, its benefits and progress have been substantial, although at times debated. These benefits include a substantial growth in the registered health workforce, national mobility underpinned by national standards and an on-line register which provides greater transparency about the registration status of health practitioners. Regulation can never stand still as the health system in which it works is ever changing. The rapid increase in entrepreneurial models of health care, as well as the acceleration of telehealth, social media and augmented intelligence technologies, create new challenges for accountability, transparency, equity and patient safety. While there are undoubtedly opportunities for further reform, the national, multi-professional set of regulatory arrangements provide a strong foundation from which to build and address new challenges and workforce needs.