Ambulance Active Spring 2011Published By Countrywide Austral

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national registration National Registration of Paramedics NCAU working hard to move forward to a national registration for all paramedics in Australia. Photo: Anthony Woodcock. Jim Arneman The National Council of Ambulance Unions (NCAU) was conceived to advance the interests of members of affiliated unions. It provides a national voice on those issues that transcend state and territory boundaries. National registration of paramedics is clearly such an issue. It has been identified and confirmed as the priority issue for the NCAU at our last three annual conferences. The debate around national registration is complicated. It is intertwined with professional recognition and educational accreditation. It is made more difficult because, unlike nursing, medicine and many allied health disciplines, there are no current state or territory paramedic registration models. It is new territory for Australian paramedics. For some, it is seen as a precursor to professional recognition. For others, it is a further layer of bureaucracy, cost and compliance. Is there a need for registration? What form will it take? What will it involve? What Is National Registration and AccrediTATion? The Council of Australian Government’s (COAG) National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for health professions is premised on dealing with workforce shortages and pressures faced by the Australian health workforce in the face of escalating demand. It is a key component of the Federal Government’s National Health Reform agenda. Initially, the scheme concentrated on 10 health professions with existing state and territory based registration schemes in place. These schemes limited health professionals to practising in a single jurisdiction. 1 National Registration Boards, established by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), develop registration standards, codes and guidelines; maintain databases of registered practitioners that are available to the public; are responsible for accreditation of educational standards and approved programs of study; oversee investigations into professional conduct, performance or health/impairment issues affecting health professionals; and ensure appropriate organisations investigate community concerns about individually registered health practitioners. They may also credential overseas health professional applications for Australian registration. A single national registration and accreditation system enables health professionals to practice around the country more easily. Stand-alone registration reduces red tape by negating the need for health professionals to be registered in each state or territory. It also provides greater safeguards for the public, and is designed to promote a more flexible, responsive and sustainable health workforce. 2 Where is the process at? National registration for the original 10 professions commenced in 2010. A further four professions are expected to achieve national registration in mid 2012. In February 2010, the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council received a proposal from the Western Australian government to add paramedics to the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme prior to July 2014. In principle, agreement has since been given to advance this proposal. The Western Australian Department of Health has been designated as the lead agency in the Paramedic Registration Project, which is expected to commence consulting on a potential national paramedic registration proposal in the near future. 06 AMBULANCE ACTIVE SPRING 2011
national registration Why has NCAU prioritised this as an issue for unions? While pay and conditions will always be the primary focus for unions representing paramedics, increasingly we have become involved in issues affecting the professional practice of our members. Union engagement, with the introduction of various certificates to practice models in different states and territories, is a good recent example where active involvement has protected and enhanced members’ access to CTP leave, paid training and professional development in a number of jurisdictions. National Registration will potentially throw up a multitude of professional practice considerations that will impact on union members. The introduction of a single national registration scheme to paramedics provides opportunities for portability of qualifications between jurisdictions, offshore recognition and career development. It will require a single national set of agreed competencies, specifying the qualifications required for different levels of practice. Educational programs will have to be accredited in line with these standards. Many complaints, and fitness to practice concerns, will be managed by registration boards. There will be increased responsibility and accountability for registered professionals. AMBULANCE ACTIVE SPRING 2011 There will be a cost for initial registration and annual certification. It is likely that not all current practitioners will make the cut, necessitating grandfathering arrangements. Unions have a role in ensuring the interests of members are at the forefront of all the above considerations. What are NCAU’s registration objectives? NCAU’s initial goals were to • Achieve national registration of paramedics • Formulate a formal submission to AHMC/COAG seeking Regulated Status for paramedics • Achieve representation on both state and national pre-hospital Registration Boards. Clearly, NCAU’s role as a peak representative body for paramedic unions means it is uniquely positioned to represent the industrial/professional interests of members as the registration process unfolds. NCAU’s rationale for becoming involved in the registration process are centred on the following considerations: Public safety - to ensure consistent standards of care to protect the community A flexible and responsive paramedic workforce - A cohesive framework to allow a national standard with an underpinning set of geographical and regional service delivery models (based on the needs of individual states, territories and communities). This is an important facet of COAG’s national health agenda Portability of qualifications - a simple, nationally recognised, framework to allow straight forward transfers between jurisdictions would be a considerable benefit for paramedics wishing to move around Australia Brand protection - protection of the name paramedic or registered paramedic would ensure consistent professional and 07
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