HEALTHY practitioners are good for patient safety, according to Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Authority (AHPRA) CEO, Martin Fletcher.
Referencing a new set of resources for health practitioners around mandatory notifications, Fletcher said AHPRA wants to "ensure that practitioners with health issues feel safe to seek treatment without fear of an unnecessary mandatory notification being made about them.
"A practitioner with a health issue, on its own, does not require a mandatory notification."
The circumstances demanding a report are very specific, he explained, naming "impairment, intoxication at work or practice that departs significantly from accepted standards places the public at substantial risk of harm.
"Mandatory notifications are an important part of patient safety.
"We need to know when patients may be at substantial risk of harm from a registered health practitioner."
Fletcher went on to clarify the AHPRA position on concerns and barriers to people seeking help when they need it.
"After listening to practitioners, we understand their fears about mandatory notifications and the changes to the legislation.
"When a practitioner has a health issue, people want to know what is, and what is not, a trigger for a mandatory notification.
"We want to work together, to address any confusion and create the culture and leadership needed to support practitioners and make mandatory notifications easier to understand.
"These resources aim to both ensure patient safety and support practitioner wellbeing," he said.
See the resources at ahpra.gov.au.
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