New Ahpra regulatory operating system
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) is replacing its core regulatory operating system. The new system will be online from Monday 17 March.
Service availability during the transition
Some activities will be unavailable on their website from close of business Wednesday 12 March. Temporarily unavailable services include:
- online applications for registration
- Raise a concern form
During this time, people can:
- raise concerns over the phone on 1300 419 495 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, local time) and by email to notifications@ahpra.gov.au.
- email applications for registration to registration55@ahpra.gov.au. However, Ahpra has strongly recommended waiting for the new online applications for faster assessment, which they expect to be available by the evening of Tuesday 18 March.
Draft applications in current system
Ahpra has contacted people who had draft applications in the current systems, encouraging them to submit by end of day on Tuesday 11 March. Draft applications cannot be transitioned into the new system.
Other online services
Ahpra's website and remaining online services will be unavailable from midday Friday 14 March until 8pm on Sunday 16 March. However, the Register of practitioners will continue to be available during this time for any practitioner registration data requirements.
Prioritising services
To ensure Ahpra continued to protect public safety and meet critical needs, they will be prioritising high risk and immediate action matters during this period. They will also focus on processing domestic (graduate) and international applications to mitigate any impact on the health workforce.
What has not changed?
Access to the Register of practitioners and Practice Information Exchange (PIE)
- the way you use and access the PIE hasn't change
- there may be some temporary downtime when Ahpra switches to the new system, but they will let you know in advance of the key dates and timeframe so you are prepared for any impacts
What has changed
- a new Ahpra portal for practitioners
- digital smart forms for all new applicants and registration renewals, making it easier, faster and more secure to apply for registration
- an improved and easier-to-use online 'Raise a concern' form
- two-step verification for enhanced security
- a new model for a better and more targeted data collection system
Applicants for registration will need to set up a new Ahpra portal account using multifactor authentification (with the choice of using either an authenticator app or SMS for authentification) and apply using new online application form.
Practitioners renewing their registration online, including limited and provisional renewals, will also set up a new Ahpra portal account and renew using an improved online renewal form. This is expected to commence with the 2025 nursing and midwifery renewal campaign.
Once logged into their new online portal, practitioners can access all the current services available today in their online services accounts but with a fresh look and improved functionality. Services include:
- renewing registration
- checking registration details
- updating personal details
- uploading documents
- start, continue and track an online application for registration.
Ahpra is replacing PDF application forms with digital smart forms. The new forms will help applicants and practitioners more easily and quickly navigate the application process, guiding users through the application, showing only the questions and information relevant to their situation.
Applicants or practitioners needing to verify their identity when applying for or renewing their registration will do so via an online biometric identity verification service.
All PDF registration and renewal forms will continue to be available for some time on a legacy forms page on the website. Ahpra will closely monitor their use and remove them gradually, providing notice before removing any form. For faster assessment, applicants are strongly encourages to use the new online form.
Applicants that need to share information from their employer and/or employment or supervisors (such as international medical graduates) will use a new PDF declaration form which they will upload in the portal as a supporting document to their online application.
Some registration forms will not be replaced by online forms immediately and will continue to be available in PDF. This includes employer/supervisor declarations and transactional forms.
An improved Raise a concern form (which is also a digital smart form) will guide notifiers through the complaint process. This includes time saving features such as helping them identify up front if Ahpra and the National Boards can help them with their type of complaint. Where Ahpra is not the right organisation, the form will guide notifiers to information about which organisation is best placed to help them.
The improved Raise a concern form will be accessible directly from the website and to practitioners in their practitioner portal. Health services can continue to use the form to make notifications and will be able to make a notification as an organisation rather than an individual. This change means health service staff will no longer have to be an individual notifier; they can be a nominated organisational contact.
There is a significant change to the process for practitioners with provisional or limited registration if their registration is approaching their expiry date or renewal period. This change mostly affected international medical graduates and provisionally registered psychologists and pharmacists.
In the current system Ahpra staff sometimes make manual system changes to keep the registration 'in force' if they have received an application to transition to general or specialist registration. This is not possible in the new system.
To remain registered, the practitioner must:
- submit their transitioning application in time for it to be assessed before their limited or provisional registration has lapsed.
If there is not sufficient time to grant the transitioning application before their limited or provisional registration lapses, then the practitioner will need to:
- renew their limited or provisional registration
- apply for general or specialist registration.
That is two applications. They will need to pay all relevant fees for both application types.
