Health ministers defer decision on amalgamation of heath boards

Optometry Australia is opposed to amalgamation of the Optometry Board of Australia with other health-practitioner boards and has made submissions to the AHWMC to that effect.
The Optometry Board of Australia came to be on 1 July 2010 after the passing of legislation in all states and territories establishing what has become known as the National Law.
The nine-person OBA is responsible for registering optometrists and for monitoring of their CPD requirents, with the latter being managed by Optometry Australia.
A public consultation on two guidelines is being undertaken by the OBA on:
– Revised guidelines for continuing professional development for endorsed and non-endorsed optometrists; and
– Revised guidelines on the prescription of optical appliances
The consultation closes on 20 Novber 2015
The ‘Guidelines for continuing professional development for endorsed and non-endorsed optometrists’ took effect on 7 January 2013. The guidelines have been in place for over two years and consultation is now occurring on proposed changes to clarify the:
– Criteria for approving providers of accredited CPD activities, and
– Location of the publication of the list of approved providers.
As the OBA is committed to supporting CPD that is delivered at a standard acceptable to the optometry profession, revised criteria have been developed for consultation.
The ‘Guidelines on the prescription of optical appliances’ has been in place for over three years and is due for review. The OBA says it has not had any major issues in relation to compliance with the guidelines.
Optometrists who are due to renew their general or non-practising registration with the OBA by 30 Novber can apply online now.
The OBA has announced that it has reduced the registration fee by $40 for the registration period from 1 Decber 2015 to 30 Novber 2016.
The annual renewal fee for general registration is now $325 per optometrist, with a late-registration fee of $100 if applicable.
The National Registration and Accreditation Sche (the National Sche) is funded by practitioners’ registration fees and there is no cross subsidisation between professions.
Last year 97.6 per cent of all health practitioner registration renewals due by 30 Novber (12 professions) were submitted online, an increase of 1.3 per cent.