Ahpra CEO steps down after 15 years

15 Aug 2024

Martin Fletcher to leave Ahpra when term ends in December 2024

Fifteen years after overseeing the creation of a national health practitioner regulator, Martin Fletcher has decided to step down as CEO of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency when his term ends in December.

Having led Ahpra from challenging beginnings to its status as a recognised global leader in multi-profession health practitioner regulation, Mr Fletcher said the time was right to hand over the reins.

‘I'm proud of what we’ve achieved, that we've never rested on our laurels and always looked at how we can keep learning and do the important work of regulation better,’ Mr Fletcher said.

‘It's not just about administering a law. It’s about making sure all the moving parts in the National Scheme are guided every day by our core role of protecting the public, while ensuring fairness and respect for practitioners.

‘Australia’s National Scheme is respected around the world.

‘The time is right for me to take on new challenges, and for a new Ahpra CEO to approach emerging frontiers including AI in healthcare, global workforce shortages and rapidly evolving ways of delivering health services.’

Ahpra Chair Ms Gill Callister PSM said the Ahpra Board will now start a global search for a new CEO to lead Ahpra into a new era.

‘The Ahpra Board is grateful for Mr Fletcher’s significant contribution, vision and leadership over many years and through many challenges,’ Ms Callister said.

‘On behalf of the Australian community, nearly one million registered health practitioners, 15 health professions, governments and our many stakeholders, I thank Mr Fletcher for his remarkable contribution.

‘The new CEO will lead Ahpra into a new era, able to harness the many strengths of the National Scheme while meeting the challenges of the complexity review and harnessing the value of our business transformation, which will reform how we deliver regulatory services.’

Mr Fletcher was appointed to establish and lead Ahpra after Australian governments committed to creating a National Registration and Accreditation Scheme in 2008. Starting from scratch in 2010 and against a punishing six-month deadline, Mr Fletcher guided legislation through parliaments to create Ahpra, built a new organisation, appointed staff and set up offices across Australia with teams able to support National Boards as they started the vital job of regulating the nation’s registered health workforce.

Ahpra now works with 15 National Boards to oversee the registration and regulation of more than 900,000 practitioners across 16 professions. Through a process of ‘continuous improvements’, Mr Fletcher said the National Scheme had evolved to better respond to extremely sensitive aspects and impacts of regulation and public protection.

‘Looking back on 15 years, I would say that regulation has rightly become more outward looking, more transparent along with a stronger consumer voice. While we still strive to manage every concern about individual practitioners fairly and proportionately, we also look up to address some of the wider trends that drive practitioner behaviour.

‘We’re a better regulator because we work with others. We collaborate with other agencies who also have a role in making the health system safer for patients,’ Mr Fletcher said.
‘There is a much stronger focus on the diverse communities that we serve, who are at the heart of everything we do.

‘We want the respect of the professions that we regulate, and the trust of the communities we serve. Our goal is to play our part in making sure that community trust in health practitioners is justified and ongoing.’

Mr Fletcher said acknowledging the systemic racism that exists within healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had been one of the National Scheme’s most important actions to date. Leading change to ensure cultural safety across health care remains one of the most crucial challenges in the future.

With a Notifier Support Service to better recognise the needs of victim survivors, a Health Strategy Unit to lead work to eliminate racism from healthcare, and world-leading work to better respond to practitioner distress during notifications process, Mr Fletcher said Ahpra was well placed to ensure that regulation meets the needs of the communities we serve.

Establishing research programs that harness the value of national data, ensuring that accreditation delivers the health workforce we need now and into the future, and creating a rapid response unit to respond to emerging issues are foundations that will shape Ahpra’s next phase.

Thank you, Martin Fletcher:

From Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith, Chair of the Health Ministers’ Meeting which is made up of all Australian state, territory and federal health ministers:
‘Since Ahpra’s establishment, Martin Fletcher has been dedicated to implementing and improving the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme,’ Minister Stephen-Smith said.
‘He has led Ahpra as a values-driven regulator and has played a key role in ensuring Australia has a skilled and diverse health workforce. On behalf of Health Ministers past and present, I sincerely thank Mr Fletcher for his enormous contribution and wish him all the very best for the future.’

Prof Euan Wallace AM, Chair of the Health Chief Executives Forum which brings together the heads of all Australian state, territory and federal health departments:
‘For 15 years Martin Fletcher has put patient safety at the heart of the work of the National Scheme,’ Professor Wallace said. ‘The needs of patients and communities are constantly evolving. From its establishment, Martin has led the transformation of our national regulatory system to meet those needs.’

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