URGENT!! - Registration for nurses and midwives

Media Centre

One last reminder that the registration of nurses and midwives whose registration renewal was due by 31 May is about to lapse. If they intend to practise, they must apply to renew before 30 June - under the National Law, there are no exceptions. You may want to use AHPRA 's employer bulk-check service to make sure none of your staff is about to lose their registration and their ability to work.

You would also be aware that we are now in the final week of the renewal period for Queensland medical practitioners, nurses and midwives due to renew registration by 30 June 2011. Early figures indicate we are on target for more than 90% of practitioners to have renewed their registration by their expiry date (which individual practitioners can check on the National Register of Practitioners at www.ahpra.gov.au).

As past state and territory registration boards recorded between 5% and 10% of practitioners did not renew their registration on time each year – many of these deliberately as part of a larger lifestyle choice such as family leave, travel and career change – early indications are that practitioners are meeting their responsibility to renew their registration, and our shared efforts to make the renewal process as straightforward as possible is succeeding.

In the last week of this renewal period, the quickest and easiest way to renew registration is online. Most medical practitioners with general and/or specialist registration, nurses and midwives can renew registration online, using the unique contact number (user ID) provided on the registration renewal notice sent by AHPRA. Online renewal is quick and straightforward.

Practitioners who do not have their unique identifier can get it by submitting an online enquiry form at www.ahpra.gov.au – select ‘User ID’ as the category of enquiry - or by calling 1300 419 495.

Queensland medical practitioners, nurses and midwives can check that their application has been received on the Board’s website at www.medicalboard.gov.au for medical practitioners and www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au for nurses and midwives. Practitioners whose application to renew registration has been received can continue to practise while their application is being processed.

The listing on the National Register of Practitioners is evidence for employers that a practitioner is registered, even if their registration expiry date has passed. Employers can bulk-check registration details of employees at the Registration: Employer services page of the AHPRA website at: http://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Employer-Services.aspx.

Medical practitioners, nurses and midwives who do not renew registration by the registration expiry date of 30 June 2011 have one month after their registration expiry date to lodge an application to renew registration (called a “late period” renewal). However, under the National Law, practitioners who do not renew registration within one month of their registration expiry date must be removed from the National Register of Practitioners. Their registration will lapse and they will not be able to practise their profession in Australia until a new application for registration is approved. Neither the National Boards nor AHPRA have any discretion about this so our advice is clear: renew on time and online.

Queensland nurses and midwives whose registration expires on 30 June 2011 will renew for 11 months and their registration will be valid until 31 May 2012. The renewal date for most nurses and midwives registered to practise across Australia will then be aligned and registration renewal will be due by 31 May each year.

Queensland medical practitioners whose registration expires on 30 June 2011 will renew for 15 months and their registration will be valid until 30 September 2012. The renewal date for all medical practitioners with general and/or specialist registration in Australia will then be aligned and registration renewal will be due by 30 September each year.

Renew online – register on time!