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Committee's Report

The committee tabled its report  on 4 February 2019.  

View:  Report No. 17, 56th Parliament Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
View:  Government Response
View:  Explanatory speech
View:  Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
View:  Explanatory Notes

Referral

On 31 October 2018, Hon Dr Steven Miles MP, Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services, introduced the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018.

In accordance with Standing Order 131 of the Standing Rules and Orders of the Legislative Assembly, the Bill was referred to the Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee (the committee) for detailed consideration. 

The Bill

According to the explanatory notes, the objectives of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 are to:

• amend the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (National Law) as agreed by the Council of Australian Government (COAG) Health Council on 12 October 2018 to:
  • introduce reforms to mandatory reporting by treating practitioners, to ensure health practitioners have confidence to seek treatment for health conditions, while protecting the public from harm, and
  • double the penalties for holding out and related offences under the National Law from $30,000 to $60,000, and introduce a maximum imprisonment term of three years for the most serious offences
• makes consequential amendments to the Queensland local application provisions of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld) to:
  • align Queensland’s approach to mandatory reporting by treating practitioners with the approach in the National Law by removing a Queensland-specific provision, and
  • provide for circumstances in which the holding out and related offences are prosecuted on indictment and summarily in Queensland, and
• Make consequential amendments to the Ambulance Service Act 1991 (Qld) and Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 (Qld).

Timeline