Students graduate from first medical radiation practice programs to be accredited and approved

20 Jan 2015

Students have graduated from the first medical radiation practice programs of study to be accredited and approved under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme).

At the end of 2014, 42 students who graduated from Charles Sturt University in New South Wales are, as a result of the accreditation and approval of their programs, qualified¹ for general registration with the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (the National Board).

Medical Radiation Practice Accreditation Committee (Accreditation Committee) Chair, Professor Marilyn Baird, said committee members were pleased to see this milestone reached.

‘When the Accreditation Committee was established in 2012 there was a lot to do, including developing accreditation standards and assessment processes, recruiting and training assessors and the development of a schedule to assess and monitor Board-approved courses,’ Professor Baird said.

‘Because of all the work that’s been done it’s wonderful to see students graduating from the first accredited and approved programs of study.’

Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia Chair Neil Hicks said it was great to see the accreditation component of the National Scheme in action.

‘The Accreditation Committee achieved a lot in a short timeframe and was well supported by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Accreditation Unit,’ he said.

‘The Board has full confidence in the Accreditation Committee and the standards and processes it has developed.

‘The Accreditation Committee’s work ensures that students who complete an accredited program meet the Professional capabilities for medical radiation practice and have the knowledge, skills and professional attributes to practise in Australia,’ Mr Hicks said.

The accreditation standards for medical radiation practice, approved by the National Board, were published on 17 December 2013.

Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law), National Boards regulating health practitioners in Australia must decide whether their accreditation function is to be exercised by an external accreditation entity or a committee established by the National Board.

Three of the National Boards for the professions that entered the National Scheme on 1 July 2012 decided to exercise accreditation functions through a committee established by the National Board. The committees are:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Accreditation Committee 
• Chinese Medicine Accreditation Committee 
• Medical Radiation Practice Accreditation Committee.

The National Boards’ decision created a new stream of work for AHPRA, as accreditation functions for the other health professions regulated in the National Scheme are exercised through profession-specific external accreditation councils.

AHPRA established an Accreditation Unit to provide administrative and general support to the committees to enable them to exercise accreditation functions under the National Law.

Further information about accreditation, including how an education provider applies for a program of study to be assessed, is available under the Accreditation section of the three National Boards’ websites.

For more information

• Visit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Pracitce Board website 
• Visit the Chinese Medicine Board website
• Visit the Medical Radiation Practice Board website 
• 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

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¹Graduates wanting to apply for provisional or general registration with the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia must have successfully completed a program of study that has been approved by the Board.