AHPRA Updates Public Registers Under New National Law Reforms

AHPRA Updates Public Registers Under New National Law Reforms

10 Apr 2026

The changes are part of “landmark reforms” to the National Law aimed at improving patient safety and increasing transparency across the health system.

In the first update released this week, AHPRA added new information to the register entries of 107 practitioners, including 86 who are listed as cancelled practitioners.

The updated register now clearly shows when a tribunal finding involved sexual misconduct. This includes behaviours such as boundary violations, sexual harassment, and criminal offences that may occur inside or outside clinical settings.

While tribunal decisions were already publicly available online, the reform ensures the nature of the misconduct is clearly visible on the searchable register itself. The changes apply retrospectively to tribunal decisions dating back to July 2010.

AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner said sexual misconduct by health practitioners is a serious breach of trust and patient safety.

He said publishing these findings helps patients make informed choices and ensures such breaches are not hidden from public view.

The changes were introduced following decisions by Australian Health Ministers in 2024 and required extensive legal review and consultation before implementation.

AHPRA also confirmed that stricter rules will apply to any practitioner with a past sexual misconduct finding who attempts to return to practice in the future.

The reforms sit alongside new consumer protections introduced in December 2025, which make it a criminal offence to retaliate against someone who reports concerns, and confirm that non-disclosure agreements cannot be used to prevent complaints to AHPRA.

AHPRA says it continues to support notifiers through dedicated services and encourages anyone with concerns about a practitioner to come forward.

https://www.ahpra.gov.au/

Source: Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) media release, National Law amendments 2025

 
 

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