AGY-7251 | Optometry Council of New South Wales

Full description

The Optometry Council of New South Wales was established on 1 July 2010 (1) under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) No 86a of 2009. (2)

The Law set out the regulatory framework for the new National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for health professionals and implemented the agreement signed in 2008 by the Council of Australian Governments. Under the Law, registration and accreditation functions were managed by the National Boards with administrative assistance provided by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Professional regulation issues, such as complaints and conduct issues, health and performance management, operated under New South Wales processes and under NSW law. New South Wales retained the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) as an independent body to undertake investigations and prosecute serious disciplinary matters and participates in the National Scheme as a co-regulatory jurisdiction. National Boards were precluded from dealing with health notifications or complaints about incidents occurring in NSW and refer those matters to either the relevant health professional Council or to the HCCC, to be managed. (3)

The role of the Optometry Council of New South Wales was to act in the interests of the public by ensuring that registered optometrists were competent to practise and that optometric students were fit to have contact with members of the public whilst undertaking approved programs of study. The Council managed a range of programs, services and procedures to achieve those objectives. (4)

Endnotes
1. Optometry Council of New South Wales, Annual Report, 2011, p.3.
2. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) No 86a of 2009, NSW Legislation website 1 July 2010.
3. Optometry Council of New South Wales, Annual Report, 2011, p.3.
4. Ibid.