Media release

20 Dec 2013

The Board and AHPRA publish their 2013/14 health profession agreement.

National Board and AHPRA publish health profession agreement

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (National Board) and AHPRA today published the health profession agreement that outlines the services that AHPRA will provide to the National Board in 2013/14.

Under the National Law¹, the National Board and AHPRA work in partnership to implement the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme), each with specific roles, powers and responsibilities set down in the National Law.

The National Board’s core role is to keep the public safe by ensuring it has access to qualified and competent nurses and midwives to provide quality nursing and midwifery care.

AHPRA administers the National Scheme and provides operational and administrative support to the 14 National Boards in their core role of protecting the public.

‘Publishing the agreement demonstrates our commitment to transparency and accountability in implementing the National Scheme,’ Presiding Member, Dr Lynette Cusack, RN, said.

The guiding principles of the National Law require the National Scheme to operate in a ‘transparent, accountable, efficient, effective and fair way’; and for registration fees to be reasonable ‘having regard to the efficient and effective operation of the scheme’.

Dr Cusack said the National Board was accountable to the professions and the community.

‘We are responsible for using the registration fees from nurses and midwives wisely in regulating each profession in the public interest,’ she said.

‘The National Board is pleased to provide detailed information about how registration fees are allocated to regulate both professions in Australia.’

AHPRA CEO Martin Fletcher said the National Board and AHPRA are committed to increasing transparency and accountability in financial reporting.

‘As AHPRA’s reporting capability strengthens, we are publishing more detailed information about each National Board’s financial operations and AHPRA’s performance.

‘This complements the audited data and performance reporting included in each year’s annual report,’ Mr Fletcher said.

The 2013/14 Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and AHPRA Health Profession Agreement is available for review on the National Board website.

For more information

• Lodge an online enquiry form 
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 8708 9001 (overseas callers) 
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 92

Download a PDF of this Media release - National Board and AHPRA publish health profession agreement - 20 December 2013 (298 KB,PDF)

¹Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law).