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21 Dec 2021
Ahpra and the National Boards recognise that registered health practitioners have led the remarkable public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and commend them for their sustained efforts.
National Boards expect all health practitioners to facilitate access to care regardless of someone’s vaccination status. People cannot be denied care if steps can be taken to keep the person, health practitioners and their staff safe.
Good practice involves keeping health practitioners, staff and all patients safe when caring for people. Some practitioners may be considering how best to do this while also facilitating access to care in the current COVID-19 environment.
Ahpra and the National Boards have developed guidance to help support good practice in this context. The guidance reinforces existing codes and guidelines and other publicly available information and does not introduce new or different requirements for practitioners.
National Boards expect practitioners to firstly comply with public health orders in their state or territory. The principle of safely facilitating access to care should then guide decisions about treating people in a COVID-19 environment.
The guidance provides examples of how some practice settings, such as private practice, could safely facilitate access in the current COVID-19 environment. It also suggests other sources of information that may be helpful to support safe decision-making.
Facilitating access to care in a COVID-19 environment: Guidance for health practitioners.