In early 2020, changes are being made to the requirements for mandatory notifications which are aimed at supporting health professionals to seek help about their health without fear of being reported.
Under the National Law, there is a requirement for registered health practitioners such as dentists, employers and educations providers to make mandatory notifications about registered health practitioners, and in certain circumstances, students.
Amendments to the National Law passed in 2019 were designed to establish “a new, higher risk threshold for treating practitioners, which further limit the circumstances for treating practitioners to make mandatory notifications.”
These amendments were made in order to allow dentists and other health practitioners to seek treatment for a range of health conditions with concern that mandatory notification might be triggered, while still ensuring that the main aim of the notifications system – protecting the public from harm – is maintained.
