At the end of September I went to a meeting to discuss the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, being proposed for Australia. I must say it is long overdue that we as health professionals should be able to work in any State or Territory in Australia without having to pay different fees and register in within each State or Territory we choose to work in. At some point of my career I have registered and worked within four of our States, it will be nice to know that by July 2010 I will be able to register nationally and be able to work anywhere in Australia, this seems to make more sense. Consequently this will change the way our current Nurses & Midwives Boards will be governed.
The council of Australian Governments (COAG) in March this year signed an agreement on the health workforce. This agreement was the first step in creating a single national registration and accreditation system for nine health professions: nurses & midwives, medical practitioners; pharmacists; physiotherapists; psychologists; osteopaths; chiropractors; optometrists and dentists. This means less red tape and a more flexible workforce, greater safe guards for the public and will stop banned practitioners from registering in another State.
However with such a system comes consultation and changes; so, what are the changes and how does it affect us as nurses and midwives: I suspect for nurses there will not be a great deal of change however for midwives it will mean that all independent midwives will need indemnity insurance to be able to register. This is a huge problem for us. I know that the Australian College of Midwives is working to secure indemnity insurance for our midwives; however this is proving to be a mammoth task. The other issue that will prove to be difficult will be the complaints and review process, there are current discussions happening to resolve some of these issues.
I urge all of you to read the consultation document as submissions close on the 29 October, so have your say.
Reference: http://www.nhwt.gov.au/natreg.asp
5 comments:
Hi, the link doesn't work.
In SA. we are waiting for our new nurses and midwives act. Once through it will be the most up to date act and will be put forward as a national act. As far as we know ( nobody has seen it since the last draft) midwives will have some exemption from the requirement of indemnity as this will only be required by group providers i.e. agencies.
We can't say for definite as the 2nd draft went back and then straight on to parliament. We can't actually be certain until it's black and white.
Hi Lisa,
thanks not sure why it is not working try cutting and pasting the link at the bottom of the page. Indemnity Insurance is going to be a big issue for us as midwives if we do not work within an institution. National Registration will be due in 2010 starting with Queensland, there has been a ministerial agreement that all States etc will follow and this means we will need indemnity insurance. We need to work together to find an insurer.
Lisa, you can keep track of your Bill, follow the link in my new Blog and that will get you onto the SA legislation site - often there is a link that will promt you to be notified when the Bill is inacted.
hi, when I mean keep track, obviously we have seen it in draft through the college. after the second draft it went through the board and straight to parliament NOBODY got to see the final draft. It has been presented and is waiting a parliamentary date. so When I mean keep track I was meaning the exact wording, which as ever is top secret.!!
We just have to wait and see where the joint bill comes from. Each state board will be lobbying like mad.
Insurance is only a problem if we let it be. The panic is unfounded. Insurance doesn't change outcome, practice or ability. It is a pointless money making commodity where only large companies gain. The sooner we all realise this and get over it, the better. What we don't want it to get ourselves legislated out of our jobs in our over anxiousness to get something that is pointless
Unfortunately insurance is the way the world works
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