Media release

01 Nov 2013

The 2012/13 National Scheme Annual Report, which includes a report from the Podiatry Board of Australia, has been published.

2012/13 National Scheme Annual Report published

The 2012/13 Annual Report of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the National Boards has been published.

The report details the work of the National Boards and AHPRA in implementing the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme over the 12 months to 30 June 2013.

There are now more than 590,000 health practitioners registered to practise in Australia – an increase in all professions and more in total than ever before – with one in 20 working Australians a registered health practitioner.

‘The National Scheme has a significant impact on the lives of many Australians – directly on all health practitioners who are registered to practise, and indirectly through our work to protect public safety and maintain professional standards,’ AHPRA Agency Management Committee Chair Peter Allen said.

‘The ongoing, effective functioning of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme is a reflection of the partnership and collaboration between AHPRA and the National Boards,’ Mr Allen said.

For the podiatry profession the report reveals that:

• 3,873 podiatrists were registered at the end of June 2013, an increase of 11.9 per cent from when national registration data was first published in June 2011 
• 44 notifications (concerns/complaints) were received about podiatrists in 2012/13 and of these 32 were lodged outside of NSW (where there is a co-regulatory system¹) 
• 40 notifications were closed in 2012/13, including 29 managed outside of NSW 
• of the 29 notifications closed outside of NSW in 2012/13, the Podiatry Board of Australia determined:
  • to take no further action in 19 cases 
  • that the case was to be retained and managed by the health complaints entity in the relevant state or territory in three cases 
  • that conditions be imposed on the registration of two podiatrists, and 
  • to caution five podiatrists.
• the Board has carried out a substantial body of work in the review of the Board’s registration standards, codes and guidelines including the endorsement for scheduled medicines registration standard and guidelines and has established a Scheduled Medicines Advisory Committee to provide expert advice to the Board during the review of the endorsement for scheduled medicines registration standard, and
• guidelines for supervision of podiatrists and associated templates were also published.

Podiatry Board of Australia Chair Cathy Loughry said effective and proportionate regulation was the constant goal of all National Boards.

‘Every decision National Boards make consciously focuses on striking the right balance between public safety and facilitating access to health services,’ Ms Loughry said.

‘This report explains the work we do, and accounts to the community and the health professions about how we do it,’ she said.

The annual report is published on the AHPRA website under Legislation and publications.

It includes a detailed report – including data – for the Podiatry Board of Australia.

A media release about the report – with data across professions and jurisdictions – is published on the AHPRA website.  

For more information

• Lodge an online enquiry form 
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 8708 9001 (overseas callers) 
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200

Download a PDF of this Media release - 2012/13 National Scheme Annual Report published - 1 November 2013 (243 KB,PDF)

¹NSW is part of the National Scheme but notifications about practitioners’ health, performance and conduct are handled by the HCCC and the NSW health professional councils supported by the HPCA.