Revised CPD guidelines published today

24 Oct 2019

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (the Board), along with four other National Boards, has today published an advance copy of its revised continuing professional development guidelines (CPD guidelines).

The revised CPD guidelines provide additional information for practitioners about how to meet the revised CPD registration standard (CPD standard). The Board published an advance copy of the CPD standard on 31 July 2019.

The revised CPD standard and guidelines will apply to all registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners in Australia except those with student or non-practising registration from 1 December 2019.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners will need to declare that they have met the revised CPD standard when they renew their registration in 2020.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners must declare they meet the current CPD standard when they renew their registration this year.

The Board encourages Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners to read the revised CPD registration standard and guidelines to make sure that they are familiar with the updated requirements.

Some of the requirements in the new standard have changed. From 1 December 2019 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners will be required to complete 20 hours of CPD in each registration year instead of the current 60 hours over three years.

The ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners can meet the standard will be more flexible. Practitioners will no longer need to undertake formal CPD activities. Instead practitioners will need to develop learning goals, plan their CPD activities to meet those goals and reflect on how they will improve their practice based on what they have learnt. Practitioners will need to keep a portfolio that records this information.

To meet the revised standard, CPD activities will need to:

• seek to improve patient outcomes and experiences
• draw on best available evidence and accepted knowledge that is supported by research where possible
• contribute to improving competence and staying up to date
• build on existing knowledge, and
• include five hours of interactive CPD activities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners will no longer need to hold a current first aid certificate.

The Board is currently developing additional guidance material to help practitioners to understand and meet the revised CPD standard. Additional material including an updated FAQ about CPD and a template CPD portfolio will be published on the Board’s website under the Codes and guidelines tab in coming months.

National Boards published a consultation report providing a summary of the consultation on the revised CPD registration standards on 31 July 2019. The report and additional information are published on the AHPRA website.

For further information

• Visit the Board’s website, see www.atsihealthpracticeboard.gov.au.
• Lodge an online enquiry form.
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 9275 9009 (overseas callers).
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200.