Important reform work to continue with Dawson review roadmap

12 Sep 2025

Ahpra set to improve the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme

Health Ministers have released the final report of the independent review of complexity in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme) with a formal response to 26 recommended actions.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) welcomes this important milestone and commends independent reviewer Sue Dawson on the work she has undertaken since being appointed to the role in April 2024.

Health Ministers have asked Ahpra to build on work already underway, with actions recommended by the review including:

• carry out a review of Ahpra’s organisational capability to ensure the agency has the right skills, roles and tools to be a contemporary regulator of health practitioners
• collaborate with other agencies to reform the complaints system to ensure it is timely and transparent, and
• continue to bolster our work on proactive regulation that prevents harm.

Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner said the agency was well-placed to respond to the report and looked forward to working with ministers, departments and other stakeholders on future reforms.

Mr Untersteiner said Ahpra remained committed to strengthening regulatory oversight while also making the system easier for practitioners and patients to navigate.

‘Australia’s health system is facing challenges including workforce shortages, questions around patient access and affordability, and the impact of new technologies and new business models,’ Mr Untersteiner said.

‘Our ongoing reform program will ensure that Ahpra continues to evolve, becoming a regulator that is more proactive and adaptable — and with public safety still our number one priority.’

Mr Untersteiner said that, in line with the review findings, Ahpra was finalising a new National Scheme Strategy and corporate plan to chart its future direction.

‘The National Scheme has been built on solid foundations but there is much more to do. We know that what got us here, won’t get us there.’

Ahpra has already sought to better protect the public through harm prevention, working with other stakeholders to help predict and prevent emerging issues of concern. This included the release of recent guidance on medicinal cannabis and cosmetic procedures, and the ongoing work of Ahpra’s Rapid Regulatory Response Unit.

Ahpra is conducting its own end-to-end review of the notification system, having already moved to improve the experience of those involved in the process. In line with the recommended actions from the review, it is introducing Pathway Navigators to help guide consumers through the complaints process. Ahpra has also reduced its average assessment times for complaints to the lowest on record, while handling more matters than ever before.

Ahpra has been working to streamline and standardise its workforce processes, including through a new National Strategy Partnerships Committee that brings together the Ahpra Board, National Board chairs and the Community Advisory Council. At its first meeting, the committee sought to bring about national consistency for recency of practice requirements for practitioners, promising to streamline the process for practitioners returning to work.

In line with the review findings, several projects have been launched with an aim to provide better data and insights for governments to support workforce planning. Ahpra has also sought to build community input into the Scheme and how it is delivered and moved to modernise its consultation and engagement functions.

Co-convenor of the Forum of National Registration and Accreditation Scheme Chairs, Rachel Phillips, welcomed the release of the Dawson review.

‘For Ahpra to be effective, there needs to be transparency around the Scheme and the measures in place to support practitioners and protect the public,’ Ms Phillips said.

‘The Dawson review adds to the work already under way to improve the system and foster a level of collaboration among regulators and other stakeholders that will serve us well into the future.’

For more information, read: Transforming health professions regulation in Australia