National regulation and accreditation of Australian health practitioners

In 2010, nurses and midwives, together with a number of other identified health professionals, will come under the Australian National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for Health Professionals. The scheme is focused on the improvement of safety and quality of health care services through the independent accreditation of educational programs and the establishment and maintenance of a national public register. In this column the framework and legislative provisions supporting the scheme are discussed.