Submission to Senate Community Affairs Committee

Inquiry into the National Registration Scheme for Doctors and Other Health Workers

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) made this submission in response to the Discussion Paper, Proposed arrangements for handling complaints and dealing with performance, health and conduct and also provided its earlier submission Maintaining a consumer focus in health complaints: the key to national best practive. PIAC, in this submission, relies on the contents of that earlier submission as its primary response to the terms of reference of the Inquiry before the Senate Community Affairs Committee regarding the design of the Federal Government's national registration and accreditation scheme for doctors and other health workers.

PIAC strongly believes that an independent body should undertake the assessment, investigation and prosecution of health complaints, with dedicated officers assigned to these tasks within that independent body.

PIAC calls for a single national registration board for all health professionals and allied health workers.

PIAC also is concerned with the paucity of public consultation about the national registration scheme to date and calls for greater consultation throughout Australia in the future phases of the implementation of the national registration scheme.

Word version available on request to PIAC - piac@piac.asn.au

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