About the Tribunal

By the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Tasmania) Act 2010, Tasmania became part of a National scheme providing for the regulation of prescribed health professionals who are:

• Chiropractic
• Dental (including dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental prosthetists and oral health therapists)
• Medical
• Nursing and midwifery
• Optometry
• Osteopathy
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Psychology

National Boards are established for each of these health professions and in some occasions local committees are established in each State with the delegated authority from the National Board.  The Boards have the primary role (amongst others) to:

• Register suitably qualified and competent persons within that health profession.
• Decide the requirements of registration.
• Develop approved standards, codes and guidelines for that health profession.
• Establish panels to conduct hearings about health, performance and professional standards of members.
• Refer matters about health practitioners to a responsible Tribunal (Tasmanian Health Practitioners Tribunal).

Boards or the delegated lcoal committee may take action in respect of a health profession for any of the following:

• Performance management (competence)
• Health Management (impairment); or
• Conduct (discipline)

There is also the ability for a health professional affected by a decision of a Board in respect of his or her registration or a decision by a Board to take health, conduct or performance action against a health professional to appeal to the Health Practitioners Tribunal.