In an address, new AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner outlined his plans for improvement within the regulatory body.
New AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner has promised to improve the medical watchdog in his first address to a combined meeting of the National Scheme.
He reiterated that Australia’s healthcare system remains strong, but also outlined his concerns with the current regulation and accreditation systems.
“We need to better understand the experience of anyone interacting with our scheme,” Mr Untersteiner said.
“But not all is equal, and there is an immediate priority – a need for a holistic review and major transformation of our notification system.”
“For there to be trust in our system, our notification system must be timely and efficient, it must be transparent with strong and clear communication, and it must demonstrate high levels of procedural fairness.”
Reforms to user interaction with the National Scheme was a focal point of the address, citing how the current system was ineffective at sustaining trust with users.
“I am not convinced that the current notifications end-to-end system is achieving these important outcomes, and as a result it is leading to a loss of confidence and a loss of trust in the scheme,” Mr Untersteiner said.
“I have been told that our system, which is designed to protect people, is at times causing harm.
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“I don’t believe we can afford to make small tweaks; I think we need to pick the whole system up and rethink it.”
These comments have come after last year’s uptick in complaints regarding the regulator’s notification processes.
“The recent Dawson review consultation paper proposes recommendations for the National Registration Scheme’s complaints handling process,” Mr Untersteiner told TMR.
“These will be helpful as we develop our reform work.
“In fact, some of the things recommended in that paper are already underway.
“For example, we’re currently reviewing all notifications that are older than 12 months and ensuring there are clear completion strategies for each case.”
This is what prompted an investigation that began in June last year, from the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman, that was to look into delay and procedural safeguards for practitioners subject to immediate action.
“Humanising the notifications process has been a significant focus for us for a few years now,” Mr Untersteiner told TMR.
“Central to that is how we communicate with notifiers and practitioners. “
“We also know that timeliness is integral to good communications.
“That’s why we’ve got to continue to improve the process more generally.
“We are also investing in establishing a health complaints navigator service with the aim of engaging directly with people making complaints to ensure their concerns are directed to the right agency.”
The common complaints assessed in the investigation were frustrations with the time taken to receive regulatory outcomes and the lack of communications about the outcomes processing.
Mr Untersteiner also made note of the current workforce shortages facing the healthcare system.
“This becomes even more bleak when you consider regional and remote communities, and harder again when you look at the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners registered in our system,” Mr Untersteiner said.
“This is not an issue solely for AHPRA to solve, however we play a critical leadership role in enabling workforce solutions through our registration and accreditation systems.”
This article was updated with comment from AHPRA on 4 June.
