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10 Dec 2020
In the latest Taking care podcast episode, Ahpra’s leadership sits down to discuss the role and challenges of regulating practitioners and protecting the public.
Host Susan Biggar is joined by Chair of Aphra’s Agency Management Committee and CEO of Mind Australia, Gill Callister PSM and Ahpra CEO, Martin Fletcher.
They speak about the challenges of health regulation, including community awareness of reporting concerns about health practitioners. Ensuring that health practitioners are treated fairly and respectfully through the process is also a priority. They also discuss the challenge of identifying and prioritising access for vulnerable communities.
Mr Fletcher talks about Ahpra’s focus on patient safety being part of a bigger picture for keeping the public safe.
‘One of the things that’s really important when we think about the role of Ahpra and the National Boards in public protection, is the question of how we work as part of the wider health system,’ he said.
Greater community understanding of Ahpra’s public resources, including the public register of practitioners, also remains an opportunity.
Ms Callister reflects on the rise of social media has added a new complexity to regulation and the ‘blurring of public and private on social media.’
'People are expressing professional and private views in the public realm… sometimes [these views] are not conducive to good conduct of that profession,’ she said.
‘Over the past 10 years there has been a real journey to far greater transparency. There’s a very real debate about what the right balance is: on the one hand, the public’s right to know and on the other, the confidentiality rights of an individual practitioner,’ Mr Fletcher said.
Download and listen to the latest Ahpra Taking care podcast episode today.
Ahpra releases a new episode every fortnight, discussing current topics and the latest issues affecting safe healthcare in Australia. You can also listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player.