Just two have been referred to tribunals for potential disciplinary action, senate estimates hears.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency has set up a dedicated unit to deal with complaints relating to the Israel-Gaza war.
Appearing at Senate estimates this morning, AHPRA’s CEO Justin Untersteiner said the agency had received 188 notifications relating to 95 practitioners over the past two years.
“About half of those related to some form of complaint about anti-Semitism and about half of those relate to complaints about Islamophobia,” Mr Untersteiner said.
Mr Untersteiner said that although there were some more serious allegations, many related to an official reposting some kind of news story.
Two cases had been referred to tribunals for potential disciplinary action, which could include suspension or cancellation of the practitioners’ registration.
“I can give complete confidence that we’ve got no tolerance for discrimination and I feel confident that any Australian is able to go and get safe healthcare and not worry about discrimination, because we’re dealing with it,” he said.
“In many of those cases, we wouldn’t see those as a case where we need to take particular action.”
AHPRA also announced today that it had appointed Wakaya Distinguished Professor Yin Paradies, a renowned Aboriginal race scholar, to lead the evaluation and development of the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety priorities.
Professor Paradies will spearhead the evaluation of the current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020-2025 and develop its next five-year iteration, alongside identifying strategic objectives for the cultural safety priority area within the National Scheme Strategy.
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“This work is fundamental to our mission of protecting the public through effective health practitioner regulation,” said Gamilaroi national director, Jayde Fuller of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit.
“Professor Paradies’ lived experience as a Wakaya man, combined with his world-leading research expertise, positions him uniquely to guide our ongoing efforts to eliminate racism from Australia’s health system.”
Professor Paradies said:
“Cultural safety must be defined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples themselves.
“This evaluation and strategy development process will centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices to ensure regulatory mechanisms effectively address both individual and systemic racism in healthcare.”
