Ambulance Active Spring 2011Published By Countrywide Austral
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Ph: (03) 9937 0200 Fax: (03) 9937 0201 • Email: admin@cwaustral.com.au
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national registration<br />
National<br />
Registration<br />
of Paramedics<br />
NCAU working hard to move forward to a<br />
national registration for all paramedics in<br />
<strong>Austral</strong>ia. Photo: Anthony Woodcock.<br />
Jim Arneman<br />
The National Council of<br />
<strong>Ambulance</strong> Unions (NCAU) was conceived<br />
to advance the interests of members of<br />
affiliated unions. It provides a national<br />
voice on those issues that transcend<br />
state and territory boundaries. National<br />
registration of paramedics is clearly<br />
such an issue. It has been identified and<br />
confirmed as the priority issue for the<br />
NCAU at our last three annual conferences.<br />
The debate around national registration is<br />
complicated. It is intertwined with professional<br />
recognition and educational accreditation.<br />
It is made more difficult because, unlike<br />
nursing, medicine and many allied health<br />
disciplines, there are no current state or<br />
territory paramedic registration models.<br />
It is new territory for <strong>Austral</strong>ian paramedics.<br />
For some, it is seen as a precursor to<br />
professional recognition. For others, it is<br />
a further layer of bureaucracy, cost and<br />
compliance. Is there a need for registration?<br />
What form will it take? What will it involve?<br />
What Is National Registration<br />
and AccrediTATion?<br />
The Council of <strong>Austral</strong>ian Government’s<br />
(COAG) National Registration and<br />
Accreditation Scheme for health professions is<br />
premised on dealing with workforce shortages<br />
and pressures faced by the <strong>Austral</strong>ian health<br />
workforce in the face of escalating demand.<br />
It is a key component of the Federal<br />
Government’s National Health Reform agenda.<br />
Initially, the scheme concentrated on 10<br />
health professions with existing state and<br />
territory based registration schemes in place.<br />
These schemes limited health professionals<br />
to practising in a single jurisdiction. 1<br />
National Registration Boards, established<br />
by the <strong>Austral</strong>ian Health Practitioner<br />
Regulation Agency (AHPRA), develop<br />
registration standards, codes and guidelines;<br />
maintain databases of registered practitioners<br />
that are available to the public; are<br />
responsible for accreditation of educational<br />
standards and approved programs of study;<br />
oversee investigations into professional<br />
conduct, performance or health/impairment<br />
issues affecting health professionals; and<br />
ensure appropriate organisations investigate<br />
community concerns about individually<br />
registered health practitioners. They may<br />
also credential overseas health professional<br />
applications for <strong>Austral</strong>ian registration.<br />
A single national registration and<br />
accreditation system enables health<br />
professionals to practice around the country<br />
more easily. Stand-alone registration<br />
reduces red tape by negating the need for<br />
health professionals to be registered in each<br />
state or territory. It also provides greater<br />
safeguards for the public, and is designed<br />
to promote a more flexible, responsive and<br />
sustainable health workforce. 2<br />
Where is the process at?<br />
National registration for the original 10<br />
professions commenced in 2010. A further<br />
four professions are expected to achieve<br />
national registration in mid 2012.<br />
In February 2010, the <strong>Austral</strong>ian Health<br />
Workforce Ministerial Council received<br />
a proposal from the Western <strong>Austral</strong>ian<br />
government to add paramedics to the<br />
National Registration and Accreditation<br />
Scheme prior to July 2014. In principle,<br />
agreement has since been given to advance<br />
this proposal. The Western <strong>Austral</strong>ian<br />
Department of Health has been designated as<br />
the lead agency in the Paramedic Registration<br />
Project, which is expected to commence<br />
consulting on a potential national paramedic<br />
registration proposal in the near future.<br />
06 AMBULANCE ACTIVE SPRING 2011