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24 Feb 2026
In response to recent media coverage, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) issues the following advice.
The health profession has a critical role to play in actively supporting ongoing efforts to maintain the highest healthcare standards in Australia.
Every Australian health practitioner has an obligation to notify Ahpra if they believe another practitioner is placing the public at risk by departing from accepted professional standards. So do employers. That’s a mandatory reporting requirement under the National Law.
Ahpra treats all notifications equally seriously, regardless of whether they come from patients, clinicians or managers. The community, health practitioners and others should have confidence that Ahpra and the National Boards have a well-established system to assess and investigate complaints - with the input of appropriate medical expertise - and the powers to take appropriate regulatory action when required.
And since December 2025, people who alert regulators to concerns about health practitioners have had greater protection under changes to the National Law. The changes guard against any attempted reprisals, and make it an offence to threaten, intimidate, dismiss, refuse to employ or otherwise discriminate against someone involved in a complaint to Ahpra and the National Boards. The maximum penalty is $60,000 for an individual or $120,000 for a body corporate. Disciplinary action can also be taken against practitioners.
In addition, people are able to lodge a complaint despite any clause in a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) they may have entered into with a practitioner to resolve issues. It is now an offence to enter into an agreement that does not set that out in writing.
‘Practitioners have a duty to speak up if they believe the public is at risk. It’s important that they know they can do so without fear of reprisal. While reprisals are thankfully uncommon, we will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who threatens notifiers or witnesses acting in good faith,’ says Ahpra’s CEO Justin Untersteiner.
‘Ahpra’s number one priority is to prevent harm and achieving that requires access to all available evidence and information. We expect the support and cooperation of everyone involved in matters relating to public safety.’
During an investigation, Ahpra may also contact relevant parties, including employers and hospitals, for information to support the investigation. This may include patient records, witness statements, employment records or any information that may have relevance for the purpose of the investigation.
The Ahpra website has further information about the complaints process, and the support available to notifiers.
If you have a concern about healthcare treatment, we encourage you to contact us on 1300 361 041 or lodge an enquiry online.
