Health ministers reject proposal to consolidate 9 health-care boards

The nine health-care practitioner boards, including the Optometry Board of Australia, are regarded as having a low-regulatory workload. The Medical Board of Australia is not included in the list of nine boards for obvious reasons.
The proposed merger would have affected optometry Australia chief executive officer Ms Genevieve Quilty said her organisation lobbied against the amalgamation of the Optometry Board of Australia with the other eight boards that.
Federal, state and territory health ministers decided at the COAG Health Council meeting in Perth on 8 April to not consolidate nine health boards.
“We are very pleased with this reported outcome and will be meeting with AHPRA on 20 April to seek additional information with respect to this decision,” Ms Quilty said.
A media release issued by Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council following a meeting stated, “In August 2015, Health Ministers considered the recommendations of the final report of the National Regulation and Accreditation Sche (NRAS) Review and deferred all decisions relating to the consolidation of nine of the 14 national boards into a single ‘Health Professions Australia Board’.
“Following targeted consultation by Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) with the national boards, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and professional associations, Health Ministers have decided not to consolidate nine of the national boards. Health Ministers accepted that efficiencies can and should be achieved by streamlining existing committee and operational arrangents under all the national boards.
“However, Health Ministers did not rule out the possibility that changes may be required in the future, to ensure the governance arrangents for the National Sche continue to be fit for purpose. Therefore, Health Ministers have agreed to amend the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law 2009 so that changes to the governance and mbership of National Boards can be made by regulation.
“If, in the future, Health Ministers are considering whether to exercise such powers, then consultation would be required with affected stakeholders before any changes in regulation could be progressed.
“Health Ministers recognise the importance of ensuring that the National Sche operates as efficiently and effectively as possible and that multi-profession regulatory approaches have benefits beyond efficiencies, in fostering best practice and workforce reform. Health Ministers urge AHPRA and the national boards to continue to scrutinise their structures and processes to:
– Assure the ongoing financial sustainability of the National Sche;
– Improve functions and processes to maximise operational efficiencies and streamline National Board governance processes; and
– Establish mechanisms to support the development of consistent and best practice approaches to regulation across national boards.”