Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Restriction: Manage health
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Restriction: Manage health

National Restrictions Library 2.0: This restriction applies to restictions imposed or accepted from 16 September 2024. For restrictions imposed or accepted before this date please see the National Restrictions Library 1.0.

Restriction description

A practitioner with this restriction must not practise until we publish approved practice locations. Depending on the restrictions, the practitioner may only need to disclose or ask us to approve the locations. If the practice needs approval, we will check that the location is appropriate for the practitioner’s health condition.

A practitioner with this restriction must:

  • only practise at published practice locations
  • nominate a senior person at each practice location
  • nominate a health practitioner who is treating their health condition.

We often apply this restriction due to concerns about a practitioner’s health. To protect the practitioner’s privacy, usually some of the restriction details are not publicly available.

We monitor compliance in several ways, including by checking that:

  • the nominated practice location is appropriate for the practitioner’s health condition if needed
  • the practitioner is only practising at published practice locations
  • the practitioner is not practising if there are no published practice locations
  • a senior person at each practice location understands the requirements of the restriction
  • the practitioner has provided us with the treating practitioner’s details.

If you have any concerns about a health practitioner’s conduct or performance, you can find out How to raise a concern.

Full text of restriction

  1. From #start date#, the practitioner must not practise other than at practice locations that are declared and published below. 
    #No practice locations have been declared / The following practice locations #have been declared #: # practice locations effective on #date#.
  2. The practitioner must comply with the Ahpra Protocol: Manage health (265 KB,PDF) in force at the date these conditions are imposed and  as updated from time to time,
  3. The practitioner must nominate a treating mental health professional from whom they are receiving treatment of their health condition (treating practitioner). 
  4. The practitioner must nominate a senior person at each practice location (senior person). 
  5. <include if required> The practitioner must not be the only #profession/registered health practitioner# at any practice location.
  6. <include if required> The practitioner must comply with the Ahpra Protocol: Practice Limitations (298 KB,PDF) in force at the date these conditions are imposed and as updated from time to time.

‘treating mental health professional’ is defined as # a registered health practitioner, psychiatrist, general practitioner, nurse practitioner, addiction specialist, psychologist, or an alcohol, tobacco and other drugs counsellor or the equivalent#

 

You will receive a monitoring plan that details contact information, due dates, and the information you will need to provide to show that you are complying with your restrictions.

Forms

Please contact your case officer for more information. 

For general information see our Frequently asked questions about Monitoring and compliance page

If you have not yet received contact details for your case officer, please email your enquiry.

We are here to support and guide you through your compliance. 

The contact details for your case officer are included on all our correspondence with you.

We also encourage you to use independent support services, including those provided on our Practitioner support services page.

You can also contact your legal representative or professional union to support you.

  • You should contact your Ahpra case officer as soon as possible. 
  • You should consider whether your health condition could impact on your safe practise of your profession. 
  • Your treating practitioner may be able to help you decide whether it is appropriate stop practising for a period to recover.
  • We will consider your individual circumstances including the nature and severity of the relapse, your practice setting, and the history of your health condition when making a decision.
  • Further regulatory action is less likely to be required for practitioners who seek appropriate treatment for their health condition and stop practising when necessary.

These restrictions generally do not require approval of your nominated place of practice. They do require a declaration of practice locations (which is also referred to as a nomination) that will need to be published to the public register.

You are required to declare all practice location, so we know whether you are practising and which locations. This will help us assess and respond to any concerns about your health so we can work with you to keep the public safe.

The requirement to declare a place of practice is so that if you experience an exacerbation of your health condition, information about your practise setting and any impact on your practice can be gathered quickly to help to assess whether any regulatory action is required.

If you have no approved practice locations published to the public register, you must not practise. 

You must only practise at approved and published practice locations.

Generally, we will provide you further opportunity to nominate a different practice location, or to address any shortfalls in the nomination. 

We will not consider incomplete nominations. We will let you know if we require any further information to progress your nomination. 

If your practice location is not approved and published to the public register, you must not practice at that location.

You should notify your case officer as soon as possible using the contact details on your monitoring plan. You will be required to nominate a new treating practitioner within 30 days of notice that your current treating practitioner is unavailable.

  • You should notify your case officer using the contact details on your monitoring plan. We will remove your practice location from the public register.
  • If you have no other practice locations published, you must not recommence practising until you have had a new practice location approved.

Senior persons play an important role in protecting the public. Sometimes they are not a registered health practitioner. They are responsible for providing us with accurate practice information and are our primary contact to confirm you are practising safely. 

It is important your senior person is sufficiently independent from you to be reasonably relied upon and is able to provide independent and reliable information to help us monitor your compliance with your restrictions.

You should notify your case officer as soon as possible using the contact details on your monitoring plan. You will be required to nominate a new senior person within 14 days of notifying us that your previously nominated senior person is no longer available.

You must contact your Ahpra case officer or team as soon as possible if you have had a change of circumstances or are unable to comply with the requirements for any reason. See your monitoring plan for contact information.

You may be able to apply for a change in your restrictions, or an extension of the date of commencement of the requirement for treatment. Circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis.

 
 
 
Page reviewed 13/09/2024