Health practitioner regulation in Australia: A view from the antipodes

Abstract

This article reviews health practitioner regulation in Australia. It starts with a review of the constitutional powers to regulate healthcare in the Australian Federal system and the system of rights to access health that have been created. The article then examines the current National Law, which was an attempt to create a uniform regulatory system for healthcare practitioners in Australia. The paper examines the working of that system and current data on its operation and concludes with looking to future challenges for the system.