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Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003

This Act provides a framework for the regulation of all health practitioners where there is a risk of harm to the public.

1. Purpose of the Act
   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 practice their professions.
   The Act provides a framework for the regulation of all health practitioners where is a risk of harm to the public. There will be consistent processes for the registration and ongoing competence of practitioners who are currently regulated and a process for the inclusion of new health professions if appropriate. Registration authorities will certify that practitioners are qualified and competent to practice within a certain scope specifying conditions and time.
   
2. Scopes of Practice
   Each registration authority will develop scopes of practice describing the activities practitioners are qualified to perform, the conditions under which the activities may be performed and a date for review.
   
3. Restricted Activities
   Some activities, where there is a risk of serious or permanent harm, will be restricted to those who are competent to perform the activity according to their scope of practice.
   
4. Ongoing Competence
   Registration authorities will be required to put processes in place to ensure that practitioners maintain their competence throughout their careers.
   
5. Complaints and Discipline
   There will be consistent processes across the professions for handling complaints against health practitioners that are fair to both the complainant and the health practitioner.
   
6. Protected Quality Assurance Activities
   QAAs facilitate practitioners learning from patient outcomes, improving their competence and reducing adverse outcomes. By declaring a QAA, the Minister of Health provides both confidentiality to information that becomes known as a result of the activity and immunity from civil liability to people who engage in the activity of good faith.
   
   It is important that you keep yourself informed of this Act and its implications for your ongoing professional development and competence.