What does it mean to make a voluntary notification?

Any individual or organisation can make a voluntary notification about a registered health practitioner or student's health, conduct or performance.

Most notifications made to Ahpra are voluntary. They are most often made by:

• the patient, their relative, carer or anyone acting on the patient’s behalf with the patient’s consent
• other health practitioners or employers, or
• representatives of statutory bodies.

A voluntary notification is different to a mandatory notification. Under the National Law, some individuals (such as employers or other registered health practitioners) have a legal obligation to make a notification about a registered health practitioner in certain circumstances. This is called mandatory reporting and is often referred to as a mandatory notification.