National Scheme reports and reviews

Final reports and announcement about Health Ministers’ reviews in relation to the National Scheme.

Rapid review: use of title ‘oral surgeon’ (2024)

On 16 August 2024, Health Ministers referred the use of the dental specialist title ‘oral surgeon’ to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) for consideration and advice, to ensure patients and consumers have a clear understanding of the skills and qualifications of the practitioners providing them care. To inform timely advice to Health Ministers, Ahpra appointed an independent reviewer to carry out a rapid review of the use of the title ‘oral surgeon’. The reviewer undertook targeted consultation with key stakeholders and produced a report on the review.

The review found that there was ‘insufficient reliable and independently assessed evidence to indicate that the use of the title ’oral surgeon’ has caused serious harm to the public or led to a substantial loss of public confidence in the safety of services provided by oral surgeons.’

The review recommended a comprehensive public consultation on all dental specialist titles, including the title oral surgeon. The Dental Board of Australia has accepted this recommendation and will carry out a review of specialist titles in 2025-26.

• Report - Rapid targeted review of use of title 'oral surgeon' (884 KB, PDF)

Submissions

• Private Healthcare Australia (254 KB,PDF)
• Australian Society of Orthodontists (142 KB,PDF)
• The University of Sydney - Sydney Dental School (466 KB,PDF)
• Australian Dental Association (307 KB,PDF)
• Australian Society of Anaesthetists (200 KB,PDF)
• Australian Dental Council (94.5 KB,PDF)
• Professor Paul Coulthard (273 KB,PDF)
• Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral Surgeons (175 KB,PDF)
• Council of Procedural Specialists (161 KB,PDF)

National registration and accreditation scheme: governance review (2020)  

• COAG Health Council - communiqué - Governance review - 12 February 2020 (298KB, PDF) 
• Final report (1.2MB, PDF) 

Independent Accreditation Systems Review (2020)

• COAG Health Council - communiqué - Response to the Final Report - 12 February 2020 (298KB, PDF) 
• Final report (4.2MB, PDF)
• Consultation report on implementation of recommendations from Australia's Health Workforce - September 2019 (860KB, PDF)

Independent review of the National Scheme (2014/15)

• COAG Health Council Communiqué - Health Ministers response to the - reissued on 14 August with extended reference to recommendation 9 (419KB, PDF) 
• Final report (2.6MB, PDF)
• SCoH (AHWMC) Terms of Reference - National Registration and Accreditation Scheme review - 29 April 2014 (25KB, DOCX)

National registration of the paramedic profession (2015)

• COAG Health Council communiqué - Options for – 6 November 2015  & Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council (AHMAC) (245KB, PDF)
• Final report: Options for regulation of paramedics – September 2015 (1.3MB, PDF)   

Dental Board of Australia scope of practice (2019)

• ACSQC report on the DBA scope of practice (2019) (389KB, PDF)
• Communiqué - March 2019 (328KB, PDF)
• Communiqué - November 2019 (336KB, PDF) 

Review of Medical Intern Training commissioned by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) – 2015/16 

• COAG Health Council - Communiqué - Response to the Review of Medical Intern Final Report Recommendations (267KB, PDF)
• Final report - Review of Medical Intern training (September 2015) (1.4MB, PDF)