Proposed reforms to health practitioner regulation could see fewer notifications handled directly by AHPRA.
The health practitioner regulator has lent its in-principle support to the findings of a review into its complexity, with the new CEO citing the “evolving needs of contemporary regulation”.
The second consultation paper from the independent review into unproductive and unnecessary complexity in the national registration and accreditation scheme was published earlier this week, with a final report due later this year.
In the section on how AHPRA handles notifications, the review team – led by former NSW Health Care Complaints Commissioner Sue Dawson – acknowledged the “deep frustration and confusion” of consumers and health practitioners alike when it came to complaint management.
On a more granular level, the review team identified inconsistency and delay in notification decision making, inadequate clinical advice and inconsistent tribunal processes.
The report outlined a vision for a united national health complaints system, which would see a single point of entry to lodge health-related complaints in each state and territory.
These would then get filtered down to health complaints entities, which would docus on triaging and resolution of matters that do not warrant disciplinary action.
Alleged serious breaches of professional standards would be referred to AHPRA, which would have a new KPI framework for investigations and reporting.
“It is especially clear that practices associated with placing investigations ‘on hold’ require more immediate consideration and adjustment than is currently proposed,” the consultation paper read.
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“The advice of AHPRA that work is underway in these respects was welcome but needs to be supported by a defined and milestone driven program of business improvement so that progress is assured and visible to the AHPRA Board, National Boards and stakeholders.”
Newly minted AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner said the recommendations presented in the paper aligned with the regulator’s existing reform plans.
“I understand how distressing it can be for practitioners to be subject to a regulatory process and acknowledge that sometimes these matters can take too long to resolve,” Mr Untersteiner said.
“Reforming our complaints handling process is a priority.”
Mr Untersteiner said his goal at the helm would be for AHPRA to become a “listening, learning and responsive regulator”.
AMA president Dr Danielle McMullen told The Medical Republic that the association regularly heard from members concerned about delays in the regulation system and a lack of transparency.
“We’re concerned about the overuse of immediate action powers and inadequate accountability on those, so there’s certainly room for improvement,” she said.
“But at the same time, we also still believe in a profession-led accreditation scheme and we want to see a regulatory system that has patient safety front of mind, but also practitioner wellbeing.”
The independent review was commissioned by the Health Chief Executives Forum, which comprises health department CEOs from each state and territory.
