Speak Out August 2016

Continuing Professional Development P licy & Advocacy

“The SP2030 conversations made it clear that this continues to be an important issue for the profession, and that members wish to see the Association actively pursuing national registration.”

Talking ‘National Registration’ with Governments

commitments to take the issue to the COAG Health Council even if some are supportive of our inclusion. We have also received written responses from a number of state Ministers for Health in reply to our requests to meet with them. Some of these responses have indicated that the National Code of Conduct for Health Workers and the state/ territory Health Care Complaints Commission processes are considered to be sufficient protection of the public from any risks posed by speech pathology practice. We vehemently disagree with this. The Code of Conduct is a bare minimum expectation of health workers and our profession holds itself up to considerably higher standards of conduct. Furthermore, the formal complaints processes are difficult to access for those with communication impairment. Speech Pathology Australia continues to argue to the Health Ministers that the protections of public safety afforded by national registration needs to be extended to people receiving speech pathology services in Australia. Our recent conversations with elected officials have indicated that work is underway by the COAG Health Council to revise the application criteria used to assess if a profession should be included in the National Scheme. This is a positive development, as it is the view of the Association that the existing selection criteria is seriously flawed, overly focused on immediate and acute clinical risks and without consideration of long term repercussions of poor practice or vulnerability of clients. This work is anticipated to be completed by the

Following the April meeting of the COAG Health Council (all the Health Ministers in Australia), Speech Pathology Australia wrote to every Health Minister and Shadow Health Minister seeking meetings to discuss including speech pathology in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. A media release was also distributed. The move followed the announcement that the Health Council is progressing the inclusion of the paramedic profession into the National Scheme. As members will be aware, Speech Pathology Australia has twice submitted applications for the profession to be included in the National Scheme. Every state and territory health minister needs to agree to include speech pathology in the National Scheme for it to occur. Throughout June and July, representatives from Speech Pathology Australia met with a range of elected officials in different states and territories to discuss the issue of national registration. The SP2030 conversations made it clear that this continues to be an important issue for the profession, and that members wish to see the Association actively pursuing national registration. In general, discussions with Shadow Ministers have been supportive of inclusion of our profession in the national registration scheme. Some have committed to raising the issue in their Parliaments, and/or considering it as a formal policy position of their Shadow Cabinets. In general, meetings with Ministers have also been productive but with no firm

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August 2016 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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