Board consults on a proposed revised Scope of practice registration standard and Guidelines for scope of practice

22 Mar 2018

We’re interested in what you think of the Dental Board of Australia’s (the Board) proposed changes to Scope of practice registration standard and Guidelines for scope of practice.

The proposed revised registration standard and guidelines continues to set out the Board’s requirements for scope of practice that aligns with the Board’s broad regulatory framework and the needs of all dental practitioners.

The proposed changes include to:

• Remove the requirement for a ‘structured professional relationship’. The Board considers that the Code of conduct for dental practitioners details more appropriately the important standards for dental practitioners in understanding the expected ways of working. This includes that dental practitioners must work within the limits of their competence and scope of practice and refer patients for care that is outside their scope of practice.
• Remove the requirements of ‘independent practitioner’. At the time of the last review in 2014 the Board agreed that it would incrementally remove the bar on independent practice from the registration standard. This approach was adopted to effectively recognise the professional roles, responsibilities of all dental practitioners and their regulation.
• Remove reference to Programs to extend scope giving effect to the Board’s decision to phase out the approval process of these programs. Going forward, these programs can continued to be delivered as continuing professional development (CPD).
• Clarify expectations around education, training and competence. As accreditation standards, competencies and processes for approving programs of study are now well established under the National Scheme¹, the Board proposes to remove the prescriptive terminology from each division description outlined in the guidelines.

To support the changes proposed as part of this review and aid the continuous learning of practitioners through reflective practice, the Board has developed a new reflective tool to help practitioners to assess their individual scope of practice. The Board is seeking dental practitioners’ views on the content and structure of the new tool, as to whether it is helpful, clear and relevant.

Feedback

Public consultation is an important part of the Board’s engagement with the profession. The feedback you provide is greatly valued and informs the Board’s development of regulatory documents.

The Board’s scope of practice public consultation paper is published on the Board’s website - see the Current Consultations section of www.dentalboard.gov.au.

You are invited to provide feedback by email to dentalboardconsultation@ahpra.gov.au by close of business on 14 May 2018.