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12 Feb 2020
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and National Boards welcome the Australian Health Ministers’ response to the Independent Accreditation Systems Review final report.
Health Ministers commissioned the Independent Accreditation Systems Review (the Review) following a review of the National Scheme as a whole. The Review’s final report made significant and far reaching recommendations to reform the accreditation system for regulated health professions in Australia.
The final report, released by Health Ministers in October 2018, identified many issues that were already well understood and generally supported by the National Scheme bodies. Since the release of the report the National Scheme bodies and the Health Professions Accreditation Collaborative Forum have continued work relating to several recommendations as part of a shared commitment to continuous improvement and making sure the accreditation functions in the National Scheme are as effective as possible.
This work has included considering how the accreditation system can address issues that contribute more broadly to the safety and quality of the Australian health system, such as cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and interprofessional education and practice to support effective team-based and coordinated care.
‘As part of our work we have taken steps to increase the transparency and accountability of accreditation elements of the National Scheme. This includes work we have done with Accreditation Authorities and National Boards through the Accreditation Liaison Group and the recent publication of accreditation agreements’, Martin Fletcher, Ahpra CEO said.
Gill Callister PSM, Chair Agency Management Committee continued: ‘We welcome Ministers’ decision that Ahpra should establish an independent accreditation committee with broad stakeholder membership to provide advice on relevant accreditation reforms.’
‘Ahpra and National Boards are keen to implement the recommendations that Health Ministers agreed in full, in part or in principle and we look forward to working with stakeholders to achieve further improvements as efficiently as possible and deliver on the potential of accreditation within the National Scheme,’ said Ian Bluntish, Co-Convenor, Forum of NRAS Chairs and Chair Optometry Board of Australia.
To read more about the Independent Review of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for health professionals and the Independent Accreditation Systems Review, please visit the COAG Health Council website.