Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act
The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (the Act) provides a framework for the regulation of health practitioners in order to protect the public where there is a risk of harm from professional practice.
Having one legislative framework allows for consistent procedures and terminology across the professions now regulated by the Act. The principal purpose of protecting the health and safety of the public is emphasised and the Act includes mechanisms to ensure that practitioners are competent and fit to practise their professions for the duration of their professional lives.
The Act was passed by Parliament on 11 September 2003 and received the Royal assent on 18 September 2003. The Act came fully into force on 18 September 2004. In doing so, the Act repealed 11 occupational statutes governing 13 professions.
Not all health professions are regulated under the Act. Not being regulated under the Act does not imply that a profession lacks professional standards. Some are not regulated because they pose little risk of harm to the public; some are not regulated because they work under the supervision of a regulated profession; some are regulated in other ways. For example, they may be regulated through their employer or self-regulated by their profession.
In this section
- The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (the Act) is about public safety. Its purpose is to protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing mechanisms to ensure the life long competence of health practitioners. Read more
- Not all health professions are regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (the Act). Not being regulated under the Act does not imply that a profession lacks professional standards. Read more
- The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act allows for specified activities to be restricted to registered health practitioners, in order to protect members of the public from the risk of serious or permanent harm. This page provides guidelines for the operation of restricted activities. Read more
- Health practitioners whose work is subject to ongoing assessment as part of a quality assurance activity (QAA) can apply to have that activity protected under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act. This section describes what a QAA is, how to apply, and reporting requirements. Read more
- The authorities listed on this page are responsible for ensuring that all health practitioners registered with them are fully competent in the practice of their profession. Read more
- Practitioners and professions that provide health services, but are not currently included in the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act, may apply for inclusion. Read more
- Publications relating to the regulation of health practitioners under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act. Read more
- Updates relating to the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. Read more
Page last updated: 27 October 2011
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