NT Annual Report Summary 2015/16

Part 1: Decision-making in NT: Board and committee reports

NT Registration and Notification Committee, Dental Board of Australia
NT Board of the Medical Board of Australia
NT Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Pharmacy Board of Australia: Chair’s message
NT, SA and WA Regional Board of the Psychology Board of Australia
National Boards and committees: making local decisions

NT Registration and Notifications Committee, Dental Board of Australia: Chair’s message

The NT Committee has continued to work hard to protect the public in 2015/16. We held quarterly formal meetings in 2016, and continued a very good relationship with the AHPRA office in Darwin.

The NT Committee consists of two general practice members (Dr Erna Melton and Dr Quentin Rahaus), one public member (Ms Joanna Pethick), and one specialist dentist (Dr Mark Leedham, Chair).

The Chair attended the Dental Board of Australia meeting in November, and also participated in a meeting of the State and Territory Committee Chairs to discuss common issues. In addition, the Chair continued to participate as a member of the Professions Reference Group (PRG) as it looked at specialist-dentist competencies. The PRG has a number of roles, including providing feedback, information and advice on strategies for building better knowledge from within the professions about health practitioner regulation, and advising AHPRA on issues affecting the professions.

The Board met with the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner, Mr Stephen Dunham, early this year, to discuss common issues, and to maintain the existing strong relationship with the HCSCC. The Chair also attended when the Management Committee of AHPRA visited Darwin in June.

The NT Committee has made a conscious effort to apply the regulatory principles of the National Scheme this year.

The main focus of the Committee’s work this year related to notification matters, and a number of registrants had conditions placed on their registration. One registrant had their registration cancelled and was disqualified from reapplying for registration for two years as a result of referral to the Tribunal.

Protecting the public and serving the community in the NT remain our key areas of focus.

Dr Mark Leedham
Chair, NT Committee Registration and Notification Committee, Dental Board of Australia

Dr John Lockwood AM
Chair, Dental Board of Australia

Members of the NT Committee in 2015/16

Dr Mark Leedham (Chair)
Dr Erna Melton
Ms Joanna Pethick
Dr Quentin Rahaus

NT Board of the Medical Board of Australia: Chair’s message

The focus of the NT Board of the Medical Board of Australia in 2015/16 continues to be on public safety. The NT Board has continued to focus on notifications processes to ensure the public has access to safe, competent and trustworthy practitioners.

The NT Board made a number of referrals to panels and tribunals in the 2015/16, which resulted in the suspension and reprimand of one medical practitioner who engaged in significant boundary violations, and significant conditions being placed on another medical practitioner who had conducted examinations on two patients without obtaining informed consent.

We also worked alongside AHPRA on the implementation of an NT Action Plan to improve the Board’s performance on notifications. This has included participation in a pilot with the HCSCC to improve the shared consultation process and undertaking a qualitative analysis of ‘no further action’ decisions to better understand and categorise the reasons for these decisions and inform ongoing practice. This research was later developed into a presentation to be given at the 2016 International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) Conference.

The NT Board has continued to focus on the issues arising from the limited registration of international medical graduates (IMGs) this year. We imposed restrictions on registration or refused registration when required to protect public health and safety, and continued to carefully assess the adequacy of supervision arrangements for all IMGs with limited registration.

We have also worked closely with the Department of Health and NT Chief Medical Officer on a review of the declaration of Area of Need (AoN) localities process for the Northern Territory, resulting in a new position-specific model for declarations.

The Board’s approach involves working closely with local stakeholders. In August 2015, I attended a meeting of the Indigenous Advisory Council of the Australian Medical Council. In June 2016, I met with the NT Minister for Health, John Elferink, as well as representatives of AHPRA and the Agency Management Committee to discuss the functioning of the National Scheme and attended and spoke at a stakeholder forum at Parliament House in Darwin. The Board has continued throughout the year to liaise with representatives of the Department of Health, the NT Medical Education and Training Council, and the HCSCC.

Dr Charles Kilburn
Chair, NT Board, Medical Board of Australia

Dr Joanna Flynn AM
Chair, Medical Board of Australia

Members of the NT Board in 2015/16

Dr Charles Kilburn (Chair)
Mr John Boneham
Ms Helen Egan (until 29 February 2016)
Dr Paul Helliwell
Mr Garett Hunter
Dr Verushka Krigovsky
Ms Diane Walsh (until 29 February 2016)
Dr Christine Watson
Dr Sara Watson (until 29 October 2015)

NT Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Chair’s message

The NT Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) has continued to work hard to ensure nurses and midwives practise their professions in a way that upholds the expectations of the public around healthcare, safety and patient satisfaction.

In 2015/16, the NT Board continued to work closely with AHPRA staff to ensure streamlined processes and timely management of matters before the Board for the benefit of both practitioners and notifiers (those making complaints). A review of the performance of the NT Board demonstrated the strength of the partnership with AHPRA resulting in a high standard of decision-making.

The NT Board maintained our commitment to professional development and stakeholder engagement. We attended the second NMBA National Conference in November 2015, representing the NT on the conference organising committee, and NT Board member Brian Phillips and I presented on the topics of professional development and improved decision-making.

The Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner met with the Board to discuss processes and how our work can be mutually beneficial and streamlined, and the Board participated in a pilot with the Commission to improve the shared consultation process.

NT Board members attended NMBA stakeholder events in Darwin and Alice Springs and the NMBA monthly meeting that was held in Darwin in May.

The NT Board contributed to the work of the NMBA by developing considered responses to its policies and projects, ensuring the needs and the nuances of the NT were considered. Members have also been participants in national working groups for the review of midwifery practice standards, internationally qualified nurses and midwives’ (IQNM) competency assessments, and an inter-jurisdictional notifications committee.

Ms Angela Bull
Chair, NT Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia

Associate Professor Lynette Cusack
Chair, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia

Members of the NT Board in 2015/16

Ms Angela Bull (Chair)
Ms Stephanie Campbell
Mr David Carpenter
Dr Therese Kearns
Ms Heather King
Ms Gay Lavery
Dr Brian Phillips
Ms Alison Phillis
Dr Joanne Seiler (from 30 August 2015)
Ms Healther Sjoberg (until 19 June 2015)

Pharmacy Board of Australia: Chair’s message

The Pharmacy Board of Australia (the National Board) makes decisions about all registered pharmacists in the NT. Regulation of pharmacists at a state and territory level is guided by the standards and policies set by the National Board.

Practitioner representation from each of the states and territories on the National Board helps to ensure consistency and transparency in the Board’s work to implement the National Scheme at a local level. This is supported by a public perspective which comes from community member representatives from four states. Mrs Bhavini Patel is the practitioner member from the NT on the National Board.

To ensure local knowledge informs nationally consistent decisions, the National Board has a notifications committee to make decisions about individual registered pharmacists in the NT. In addition to five core members from the National Board, there are two representatives from each state and territory on this committee.

The NT representatives (jurisdictional members) on the notifications committee are:

Ms Angela Young, and
Mrs Joanna Wallace.

Input throughout the year from stakeholders in the Northern Territory has been important in helping the Board to complete significant work.

The National Board consulted widely before publishing revised registration standards on:

professional indemnity insurance arrangements
continuing professional development and related guidelines
recency of practice
supervised practice arrangements, and
examinations for eligibility for general registration.

Feedback received after the publication of the Board’s Guidelines on compounding of medicines resulted in a further period of consultation with stakeholders in relation to the expiry of compounded parenteral medicines. The Board continues to work closely with technical experts, the Therapeutic Goods Administration and other stakeholders to finalise this guidance.

The National Board also worked with an external service provider to create a revised training program for oral examiners. This drew on the skills and expertise of local pharmacists who support the Board through their participation as examiners for the national pharmacy examination.

Information for students and interns published on the Board’s website was reviewed and updated. New resources were also created, including PowerPoint presentations that explain the Board’s requirements and can be used by local education providers.

AHPRA staff supports the Board in its engagement with stakeholders in the NT, which includes speaking each year to final-year pharmacy students about the Board’s requirements for provisional registration and how to apply.

Data showing the work of the National Board in the NT are detailed in this report. More comprehensive information about the work of the Board nationally is included in the 2015/16 annual report of AHPRA and the National Boards.

Mr William Kelly
Chair, Pharmacy Board of Australia

NT, SA and WA Regional Board of the Psychology Board of Australia: Chair’s message

The Regional Board of the Psychology Board of Australia serves communities in the NT, South Australia (SA) and Western Australia (WA).

The work of the Psychology Board of Australia is detailed in the annual report of AHPRA and the National Boards, which provides a national snapshot of the work the Board does to regulate the psychology profession in Australia.

The Regional Board is the local face of psychology regulation in our region. Our board is made up of practitioner and community members from the NT, SA and WA. The decisions we make about psychologists in our region are guided by the national standards and policies set by the Psychology Board of Australia. Our Board is supported by AHPRA’s office in WA, with assistance from teams in SA and the NT.

The main focus of the Regional Board has continued to be on public safety, as we made decisions about individual psychologists. Most of our work considered what action we needed to take to manage risk to the public as a result of a notification (complaint). Another priority was assessing complex applications for registration. Consistency has been ensured through regular teleconferences with the three other Regional Chairs and attendance at the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) combined meeting.

We have endeavoured to engage with our stakeholders during the year, including representatives of health complaints entities in SA, WA and the NT, to discuss issues that are common to our work.

This year we say a special thanks to outgoing members Dr Shirley Grace and Mrs Janet Stephenson for their valued contributions. Subsequently, we welcome SA Practitioner Member Mr Colby Pearce and NT Practitioner Member Mr Chris Frank to the Board.

I would like to thank all members of the Regional Board for their continued hard work and for their commitment to protecting the public by ensuring that psychologists in our region are suitably qualified and uphold the standards that are expected of the profession.

Associate Professor Jennifer Thornton
Chair, Regional Board of the Psychology Board of Australia

Professor Brin Grenyer
Chair, Psychology Board of Australia

Members of the Regional Board in 2015/16

Dr Jennifer Thornton (Chair)
Ms Cathy Beaton
Ms Judith Dikstein
Emeritus Professor David Leach
Mr Colby Pearce
Mr Chris Frank (from 10 June 2016)
Dr Shirley Grace
Dr Neil McLean (from 17 October 2015)
Mr Theodore Sharp (from 17 October 2015)
Ms Claire Simmons (from 1 January 2016)
Ms Janet Stephenson (until 9 September 2015)

National Boards and committees: making local decisions

The remaining nine National Boards in the National Scheme have taken a different approach to decision-making about local practitioners, with national committees comprising state and territory representatives.

The committees were established to manage the risk profile, complexity and size of their professions. See the ‘Meet the Chairs’ panel below to find out which National Boards have national committees that oversee decision-making on a local level.

The committees are appointed by the National Boards on merit and include Board members in most cases. Additional members may be appointed to bring specific professional or jurisdictional expertise when needed. Committees are overseen by the National Boards, who support consistent and robust decision-making to keep the public safe.

Using national committees is an important way to cut the cost of regulation for these professions, while maintaining the benefits of scale and public protection provided by the National Scheme. National Boards also work closely with our network of AHPRA state and territory managers, so they can monitor and respond to any jurisdiction-specific issues for their professions.

Throughout 2015/16, National Boards engaged with local stakeholders in a range of ways, including:

holding stakeholder forums in states and territories to meet local practitioners and community members, and to discuss important issues for health practitioner regulation
responding to invitations to address professional and employer organisations, education providers and other interested groups
participating in joint, cross-board consultations about common registration standards, codes, guidelines and policies, and
sharing advice and feedback from the National Scheme Community Reference Group and Professions Reference Group.

For more information about the work of National Boards during the year, read the 2015/16 annual report of AHPRA and the National Boards.