WHAT IS THE FORUM?
WHAT IS THE FORUM?
The Forum is a coalition of the Councils of the regulated health professions comprising:
- Australian Dental Council
- Australian Medical Council
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council
- Australian Pharmacy Council
- Australian Physiotherapy Council
- Australian Psychology Accreditation Council
- Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia
- Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand
- Australian Osteopathic Council
- Australian and New Zealand Podiatry Accreditation Council
The ten health professions represented are those that are registered in each state and territory and are listed in the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Intergovernmental Agreement for the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme signed on 26 March 2008.
Forum members contribute individually and collectively to issues of national importance to the regulated health professions.
The Forum is presently considering the COAG plans for health workforce reform. The Forum supports the aim of national registration for the regulated health professions, and that of national accreditation schemes to ensure practitioners are educated to appropriate standards. Forum members are working to share expertise and to work collaboratively across several areas of common interest, particularly on good practice in accreditation of education and training and the assessment of overseas-trained health practitioners, and the way in which accreditation and practitioner registration are best linked.
The collective expertise of the Councils is in:
- setting educational standards for health professionals to develop safe and competent practitioners able to adapt to changes in professional practice over time
- encouraging improvements in the education and training of health professionals to respond to evolving health needs and practices
- assessing and accrediting education programs
- assessing overseas qualified practitioners
- collaborating and consulting with a wide range of stakeholder bodies and actively engaging members of their profession in the regulation of professional practice
- regional and international developments, capacity building and partnerships.
The purpose of the Forum is
1. To work together on issues of national importance to the regulated health professions.
2. To identify areas of common interest and concern in relation to the regulated health professions.
3. To work toward a position of consensus on identified issues and concerns.
4. To take joint action in areas of importance to the regulated health professions.
5. To develop joint position statements which provide recommended policy directions for governments and other relevant stakeholders.