How to register

One of the functions of authorities under the HPCA Act is to authorise the registration of health practitioners. The purpose of the HPCA Act as is to protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing for mechanisms to ensure that health practitioners are competent and fit to practise their professions.

An authority may register an applicant within a scope of practice if the applicant is fit for registration, has the qualifications that have been prescribed for the scope of practice, and is competent to practise within that scope of practice.

Fitness for registration is clearly set out under section 16 of the Act eg in summary: the applicant’s ability to communicate (includes satisfactory English language standard), convictions, mental or physical health, professional investigations or disciplinary proceedings.

The Act states that the authority must consider a duly completed application for registration or for a change of scope of practice as soon as reasonably practicable.

The authority may, if it thinks fit, receive any other information from, or question, the applicant, or any other person, in respect of an application being considered. The authority must advise the applicant about the identity of the person to be questioned and the nature of the questions.

The authority may before authorising registration or authorising a change to applicants scope of practice, require the applicant to take and pass an examination or assessment that is set or recognised by the authority for the purpose of satisfying the authority that the applicant is competent is competent to practise or that the applicants ability to communicate in and comprehend English is sufficient to protect the health and safety of the public.

An authority can authorise a change to the scope of practice through, for example the inclusion of conditions. The conditions must be of a kind that the authority considers are required to ensure the competent practice of the applicant eg that the practitioner practise subject to the supervision of one or more nominated health practitioners.

The HPCA Act (Part 2, sections 15-25) should be read for a finer appreciation of all the sections of the Act concerning registration.