November 2024

Issue 25 - November 2024

From the Chair
Priority news
- It’s time to renew your registration – renew now to avoid late fees
- Would you like to become a Board member?
Board news
Students and graduates
- Graduates – apply for registration now!
Cultural safety series
What’s new?
Keep in touch with the Board

From the Chair

Image of Stuart Aamodt

It’s been a busy time for the Optometry Board, with a recent visit to the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand. It was a great opportunity to meet with our Kiwi counterparts to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges facing our profession and share ideas.
Woman and man standing by a window

Now is the time to ensure you are up to date with your continuing professional development portfolio. You’ll be asked to declare you have met the obligations set out in the Continuing professional development registration standard when you renew your registration. You can check what you must do on the Board website.

As we enter the last few months of the year there’s still plenty to do, so keep your eye on the Board’s website and communications to stay up to date with our projects and progress.

Stuart Aamodt
Chair, Optometry Board of Australia

Photo: Optometry Board of Australia Chair, Stuart Aamodt and Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand Chair, Kristine Hammond.

Priority news

It’s time to renew your registration – renew now to avoid late fees

Optometrists have until 30 November to renew their general or non-practising registration. If you submit your application to renew on time, you can continue practising while your application is assessed. Renewing on time also means you’ll avoid late fees which apply after 30 November 2024.

Keep an eye out for your reminder email from Ahpra with your link to online renewal.

You can read the renewal FAQs on the Ahpra website for tips on logging in and for more information about renewal, read the news item.

Would you like to become a Board member?

The Optometry Board of Australia has a vacancy for a practitioner member from Victoria and a community member with no jurisdictional requirement.

The National Scheme has an important role in ensuring the development of a culturally safe and respectful health workforce that is responsive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' health and contributes to the elimination of racism in the provision of health services.

To achieve this, we have committed to increasing Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander leadership and voices on National Boards and warmly invite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to apply.

We are also committed to increasing diversity and social inclusion on National Boards. Applications are encouraged from people with a disability, people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

More information about the roles, eligibility requirements and the application process can be found within the online application form on Ahpra’s Board member recruitment page.

If you have questions, please contact the Ahpra statutory appointments team via email: statutoryappointments@ahpra.gov.au.

Applications close on Sunday 1 December 2024, 11:55pm AEST.

Board news

Meet committee member, Joanna Saies

Joanna is a community member of the Registration and Notifications Committee and Policy and Education Committee

Image of a woman

What inspired you to become a committee member?

I have experience working in state and federal government, and in private and social purpose sectors in leadership, professional, consultant and service delivery roles. I have also maintained strong community connections through long term involvement in grassroots sporting, arts and service clubs. I am at a stage in my career where I felt that my breadth and depth of community, professional and board involvement gives me the opportunity to bring an astute and perceptive community voice to the Board.

I was born with congenital cataracts resulting in severe vision impairment, and attribute much of my success in life to the professional eye care I have received. I have a strong personal interest in supporting the Optometry Board to contribute to the ongoing regulation of the profession.

What does your role involve?

I participate in two committees of the Board: the Registration and Notifications Committee which makes decisions on optometry registration and notification matters, and the Policy and Education Committee, which oversees the development and review of standards, codes and guidelines. As a community member, I provide an independent and impartial perspective on the matters before the committee.

I have also recently been appointed as a community member to the Multi-professional Immediate Action Committee.

What are you hoping to achieve in the position?

I want to bring my skills in governance, policy and process improvement, and ethical decision-making to committee discussions, to ensure we get the best outcome for the community within the context of the National Law. And I want to feel like I’m making a contribution to our community, by helping to maintain the quality and integrity of the optometry profession.

Latest workforce data released

The Board’s quarterly registration data to 30 September 2024 has been released. At this date, there were 7,150 registered optometrists. Non-practising optometrists made up 238 of that number, plus 31 optometrists with limited registration.

There are 5,320 optometrists with scheduled medicines endorsement, 77.3 per cent of the profession.

There are 13 optometrists who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, or 0.2 per cent of the profession. This is the first year that we have published this data.

For more details, including registration data by principal place of practice, age and gender, visit our Statistics page.

Good virtual care practices

Over 25 per cent of Australians have had at least one telehealth consultation for their own health in the last 12 months, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

Ahpra and the National Boards have published virtual care information for health practitioners, the public and employers about accessing and providing safe and effective virtual care.

Practitioners and consumers are increasingly choosing virtual care alternatives as we continue to see growth in the adoption of technology, online prescribing and the use of health ‘apps’. What was once seen as a temporary approach to enable healthcare in a global pandemic is now widely accepted as just another way to see your practitioner.

These documents replace the previous Telehealth guidance for practitioners, which was developed to address the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.

This information is not new and relies on the existing principles within the National Boards’ regulatory framework, such as codes of conduct and other relevant standards and guidelines. It has been developed as a helpful resource for healthcare providers and consumers to understand what good virtual care should look like.

Applying your code of conduct to evolving technologies – AI in healthcare

Are you using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your practice?

AI is rapidly becoming integrated into everyday healthcare and has the potential to transform and support new and innovative ways of working. So how do you ensure when using these new technologies that you maintain the continued high standard of care expected by your patients and clients?

Ahpra and National Boards support the safe use of AI in healthcare, recognising the significant potential to improve health outcomes and create a more person-centred health system.

While the potential of AI to improve diagnostics and disease detection has been reported for some time, recent commentary has focused on the benefits for health practitioners for improved care and patient satisfaction, including reducing administrative burdens and health practitioner burnout.

As new tools emerge, so do the unique practical and ethical issues associated with its use in a healthcare setting. Ahpra and the National Boards have developed principles for practitioners to consider when using or looking to integrate AI into their practice. These principles translate existing obligations in practitioner codes of conduct and remind practitioners to consider these responsibilities when assessing the appropriate use of AI.

Specific professional obligations to consider include accountability, an appropriate understanding of the tool, transparency of its use, informed consent, and ethical and legal issues. Read Meeting your professional obligations when using AI in healthcare and its supporting case studies on the Ahpra website to learn more about what safe and effective use of AI should look like.

Students and graduates

Graduates – apply for registration now!

If you’re studying to become an optometrist and are about to finish your course, you can apply for registration now. Getting your application in early helps avoid any delays and helps get you into the workforce sooner. If you apply before you finish your study, we can start assessing your application while we wait for your graduate results.

Before you can start working as an optometrist you have to be registered with the Optometry Board of Australia (the Board). Your application is managed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).

Easy steps to apply online

Create your account using Ahpra’s online services and complete your application.
Upload your documents and pay the required fees. Check that you have provided all required documents to prove you’ve met the registration standards, including certified copies of your photo ID.
Wait for your education provider to provide your graduate results to Ahpra.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander graduates

Ahpra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Support team is there to assist you through the registration process.

The support team is committed to assisting you to get registered promptly so you can start making vital contributions to culturally safe healthcare for your communities. If, after reading the handy hints below, you would still like some help with your application for registration, please email the support team at mobengagementsupport@ahpra.gov.au.

Handy hints to help you apply

Watch our video to get your application right: Applying for graduate registration.
As well as the video, you’ll find helpful advice, tips for avoiding common causes of delay, and downloadable information flyers on the Graduate applications page of the Ahpra website.
Read our news item for more information about applying.

Cultural safety series

New support team to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners with their registration

Ahpra has recently established a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Support team to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants, registrants and stakeholders through the registration process. The support team is part of Ahpra’s commitments to provide culturally safe services to its applicants, registrants and stakeholders.

Who is it for?

The support team will focus on helping recent applicants and new graduates who have identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander on their application form. This applies to applicants across all 16 registered professions in the National Scheme.

The team’s one-on-one services range from providing helpful tips and tricks for navigating the registration process to regular phone contact, updates and advice on disclosures made on application (for example, impairments or previous criminal history) that may require consideration by the National Board.

If you are a student, contact your Indigenous Student Support unit at your tertiary provider for information.

Cultural Safety Accreditation and Continuing Professional Development Upskilling Project

The National Scheme has several initiatives in progress to support the development of upskilling, accreditation and continuing professional development, but a significant gap remains around cultural safety.

This gap in cultural safety knowledge and application is putting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' lives at risk.

The multi-year National Cultural Safety Accreditation and Continuing Professional Development (ACPD) Upskilling Framework and Strategy aims to eliminate racism and create a safe healthcare system through a set of core standards and competencies which can be adapted to any profession or location. It will include training and education on cultural safety for registered health practitioners throughout their career.

For more information on the National Cultural Safety ACPD Upskilling Framework and Strategy visit the Cultural Safety Accreditation and Continuing Professional Development Project website.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner registration reaches exciting milestone

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners registered with Ahpra hit 1,000 for the first time in September.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners are a unique profession founded on traditional values, complemented by modern medicine. They are clinical and cultural experts who build trust, practise cultural safety and bring an understanding which strengthens health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

They work autonomously or as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing a broad range of expertise in both primary and tertiary healthcare, from administering and supplying medications, to acute and chronic disease management and advocating for patients.

Their aim is to empower First Nations families and communities to make them feel welcome, safe and comfortable when using health services and to make self-determined decisions about their health and wellbeing. The profession, while small in number, is critical to ‘closing the gap’ by removing disparities in healthcare.

Ahpra congratulates the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (ATSIHPBA) for ensuring practitioners are suitably trained, qualified and safe to practise, and for working collectively and collaboratively with the National Scheme and stakeholders to eliminate racism in healthcare.

What’s new?

Greater protection for the public under National Law changes

The recent series of amendments to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law are now complete, with a final suite of changes being introduced from 1 July.

A key update for practitioners is that you can now nominate an alternative name to go on the register, alongside your legal name.

Some health practitioners may practise under an alternative name, such as a traditional name or an anglicised or shortened name. Having both your legal name and your alternative name appear on the public register will make it easier for the public to search the register and make informed decisions about their care.

You can find out more information about alternative names and how to nominate on the Ahpra website.

Other changes to the National Law from 1 July include:

allowing National Boards and Ahpra to issue interim prohibition orders to unregistered persons in certain circumstances where the person poses a serious risk to others
establishing the process regarding renewal of a practitioner’s registration after a period of suspension
empowering the National Boards to include previously excluded information in the National Register if there is a reasonable belief the circumstances have changed
enabling the Ministerial Council to delegate its power to approve registration standards to an appropriate entity.

Australia’s health system, as well as the reasons and ways people access it, has changed dramatically over the 15 years. These reforms allow the regulation scheme to evolve with it, strengthening Ahpra and National Boards’ ability to protect the public and support practitioners.

See Ahpra's website for more information about the changes, as well as future areas of focus and ways to provide feedback.

Improving experiences when navigating a healthcare complaint

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission), Ahpra and the National Boards have worked on a joint project to explore opportunities to improve the consumer experience of making a healthcare complaint in Australia.

Both organisations wanted to get a better understanding of the barriers that consumers face when making a healthcare complaint and to discover what they can do to support consumers.

The final report has now been published along with supporting resources for practitioners and the public about navigating healthcare complaints. The project found that the complexity of the complaints system places a huge weight of responsibility on consumers to understand how it works. Consumers are also experiencing barriers, whether social, economic or cultural, that are affecting their ability to make a complaint and want a system that is focused on their needs rather than administrative processes.

What we’ve done

To improve experiences for those going through a complaint process, the Commission and Ahpra have:

updated our websites to clarify the process of making a complaint
developed three animations to give clear information to the public about how and where to make a health complaint
developed a ‘Tips for consumers when making a complaint’ webpage and fact sheet
developed Healthcare complaints - where to make a complaint (downloadable fact sheet), and
created a complaints checklist for practitioners to help effectively handle feedback and complaints from their patients or clients.

We will continue to make improvements to our websites and consumer resources. In some states and territories, work is being explored to develop a targeted local resource about complaints options.

National Prescribing Competencies Framework review

Ahpra has been contracted by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (the Department) to review the Prescribing Competencies Framework – Embedding quality use of medicines into practice, second edition (the framework).

The review aims to ensure the framework supports Quality Use of Medicines and that:

it remains fit for purpose, contemporary, efficient, accurate and reflects current and emerging trends in education and multi-profession practices, and
it continues to describe competencies required to contribute to safe and person-centred prescribing.

The framework was originally developed and hosted by NPS MedicineWise. Published in April 2021, it describes the competencies and expectations for appropriate, safe and effective prescribing across relevant health professions.

Ahpra will be conducting targeted and public consultations in the next 12 months as part of the review. The final updated version of the framework will be submitted to the Department for approval before publication.

While the framework will be hosted on the Ahpra website, the Department will continue to own the document as part of the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Program.

Review to ease the complexity of health regulation

The Review of complexity in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the Dawson review) began in May 2024, and is led by the former NSW Health Care Complaints Commissioner Sue Dawson.

The independent review aims to identify areas of the National Scheme that are unnecessarily complex and recommend changes that will improve regulatory outcomes for health practitioners and the community.

Six terms of reference outline the scope of the review. These will consider:

how to streamline and harmonise decision-making to improve consistency in regulation
how to make complaints management more consumer-driven, consistent, accessible and efficient
how to make tribunal decision-making more consistent
stewardship of the National Scheme
how to manage new professions entering the National Scheme, and
the powers ministers have to direct entities exercising accreditation functions.

Consultation paper 1 was released on 12 September.

The review is expected to be completed by mid-2025.

Keep in touch with the Board

Visit the Board website for registration standards, codes, guidelines and FAQs.
Lodge an online enquiry form.
For registration enquiries, call 1300 419 495 (from within Australia) or +61 3 9125 3010 (for overseas callers).
Address mail correspondence to: Stuart Aamodt, Chair, Optometry Board of Australia, GPO Box 9958, Melbourne, VIC 3001.