Australian Capital Territory

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AMENDMENT REGULATION 2006 (No 3)

Explanatory Statement

Circulated with the authority of
John Hargreaves MLA
Acting Minister for Health

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Authority

This Regulation is authorised by section 134 of the Health Professionals Act 2004.

Outline

The amendments proposed in this Regulation are to provide for a modification to the Health Professionals Act 2004 through the Health Professionals Regulations 2004, to allow for references to ‘nurse’ in certain other Acts and Regulations to include a person registered as a midwife under the Health Professionals Act 2004.The modifications are transitional only and required as a consequence of midwifery becoming a separate health profession to the nursing health profession, as legislated through the Health Professionals Amendment Regulation 2006 (No 1). The modifications do not change policy and it is intended that permanent changes will be made in consultation with the relevant policy areas prior to the expiry of the modifications on 18 November 2006.

Amendments s160 and Schedule 17 are numbered as such so that the effect of previously expired modification provisions that had earlier numbers can more easily be found.

Revenue/Cost Implications

There is no additional cost involved in this Regulation.

Formal Clauses

Clause 1 – Name of Regulation – states the title of the Regulation, which is the Health Professionals Amendment Regulation 2006 (No 3).

Clause 2 – Commencement – states when the Regulation commences.  The Regulation commences on 17 January 2006.  

Clause 3 –Legislation amended – provides that this Regulation amends the Health Professionals Regulation 2004.

Clause 4 – New Section 160 – Modification of Act, pt 15-, s 152 inserts a new section to provide for the Act to be modified by a new schedule 17. This section also provides for the expiry of this section and schedule 17 on 18 November 2006.

Clause 5 – New Schedule 17 – inserts new Schedule 17 into the Health Professionals Regulations 2004.  A new section 150N of the Schedule lists a number of Acts and Regulations where a reference to nurse is to include a reference to a person registered as a midwife under the Health Professionals Act 2004. This provision is a consequence of midwifery becoming a separate health profession to the nursing health profession, as legislated through the Health Professionals Amendment Regulation 2006 (No 1).