How to Check if a Healthcare Practitioner Is Registered in Australia
Australians can check the registration of doctors and many other regulated health practitioners using Ahpra’s free public Register of practitioners. The register shows whether a practitioner is currently registered and provides information such as their profession, registration type and any publicly listed conditions or undertakings.
Checking the register can be useful before seeing a healthcare professional for the first time, including when the appointment is online or by telehealth.
Key takeaways
• Ahpra maintains a free national register of practitioners in the 16 health professions regulated under Australia’s National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.
• You can search by a practitioner’s name or registration number and filter by profession and location.
• Check that the name, profession and registration status match the person providing your care.
• The register can also show public conditions, undertakings, endorsements, reprimands and specialist registration where relevant.
• A condition on a practitioner’s registration does not automatically mean misconduct; some conditions can apply for non-disciplinary reasons.
• Not every type of healthcare worker is an Ahpra-registered profession, so the absence of a profession from the register does not necessarily mean the person cannot legally provide any health-related service.
What is Ahpra?
Ahpra is the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. It works with National Boards to administer the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for registered health practitioners.
The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing explains that the National Scheme covers 16 regulated health professions across Australia.
These include medical practitioners, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, optometrists, paramedics and several other regulated professions.
How do I check a healthcare practitioner’s registration?
The simplest way is to use Ahpra’s public Register of practitioners.
You can search using:
• the practitioner’s name
• their Ahpra registration number, if you have it
• their health profession
• their state, suburb or postcode to help narrow the results
If several people have the same or similar name, compare the profession and principal place of practice shown in the results with the practitioner you are checking.
Ahpra says its online register is the reliable, up-to-date source for registration status, so it is better to check the live register than rely on an old screenshot, printed certificate or profile page.
What information should I check on the Ahpra register?
Once you find the practitioner, check the details carefully rather than looking only at the name.
Useful fields can include:
• name and profession
• registration number
• registration status
• registration type and subtype
• principal place of practice
• approved qualifications shown on the register
• specialty or specialist field where applicable
• endorsements
• public conditions, undertakings, notations or reprimands
• registration expiry information
Ahpra provides explanations of these fields in its Terms in the Register.
What does ‘registered’ mean?
For a profession regulated under the National Scheme, registration means the practitioner has met the requirements set by the relevant National Board to hold that registration.
Registered practitioners are also subject to professional standards, codes and regulatory requirements for their profession.
Registration is an important check, but it does not tell you everything about whether a particular practitioner or healthcare service is the right fit for your needs. You may also want to consider their area of practice, communication, availability, fees and whether the service suits the type of care you are seeking.
What do conditions or undertakings on a registration mean?
A condition restricts or places requirements on a practitioner’s registration. An undertaking is a commitment made by a practitioner to do, or not do, something in relation to their practice.
Ahpra explains that conditions can be imposed for a range of reasons. Some are connected with conduct, performance or public-safety concerns, while others may be non-disciplinary, such as requirements for a practitioner returning to practice after a break.
Current conditions that restrict practice are generally published on the public register. Public undertakings can also appear there.
If an entry contains a condition or undertaking you do not understand, read the wording carefully and use Ahpra’s explanations rather than assuming what it means.
What does a suspended registration mean?
A suspended practitioner is not permitted to practise the regulated profession while the suspension is in effect.
Ahpra’s register can show a suspended registration. Practitioners whose registration has been cancelled do not appear in the ordinary Register of practitioners.
Ahpra maintains a separate Register of Cancelled and/or Prohibited health practitioners for certain former practitioners whose registration has been cancelled by a court or tribunal, or who are subject to particular prohibition orders.
What if I cannot find the practitioner on the register?
First, check the spelling of the name and try searching with fewer details. A practitioner may use a different form of their name professionally, and filtering too narrowly can hide the correct result.
If someone is claiming to practise in one of the 16 regulated health professions and their name does not appear on the register after you have checked carefully, Ahpra advises that they are not currently registered to practise in that regulated profession in Australia.
However, not every person who provides a health-related service belongs to an Ahpra-regulated profession. Australia also has unregistered health workers and professions that sit outside the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.
If you are unsure whether the type of practitioner you are looking for should be registered with Ahpra, check the list of regulated professions before drawing a conclusion.
Which health professions are regulated by Ahpra?
The National Scheme currently covers 16 professions:
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice
• Chinese medicine
• chiropractic
• dental practice
• medical practice
• medical radiation practice
• nursing
• midwifery
• occupational therapy
• optometry
• osteopathy
• paramedicine
• pharmacy
• physiotherapy
• podiatry
• psychology
You can see the current list on Ahpra’s Professions and Divisions page.
Can I check whether an online or telehealth practitioner is registered?
Yes. The same public register can be used whether you are seeing a practitioner in person or through telehealth.
Ahpra states that registered practitioners providing virtual care are subject to the professional standards, codes and guidelines that apply to their profession.
Ahpra also advises that practitioners who are registered only outside Australia are generally expected to hold Australian registration with the relevant National Board before providing healthcare to patients located in Australia, although limited exceptions can apply.
For more about virtual healthcare, read What Is Telehealth and How Does It Work in Australia?.
How can I check if someone is a medical specialist?
If a medical practitioner describes themselves using a recognised specialist title, you can check their Ahpra record for specialist registration and the relevant specialty.
This is useful because words such as ‘specialist’ and recognised specialist titles have specific regulatory meaning. The title ‘Dr’ on its own does not necessarily mean a person is a registered medical practitioner.
Ahpra’s advertising guidance on professional titles explains that ‘doctor’ is not a protected title and that registered practitioners should make their profession clear when its use could otherwise be misleading.
What else should I consider when choosing a healthcare professional?
Registration is a useful first check, but choosing a healthcare professional can involve other practical considerations.
Healthdirect suggests considering factors such as:
• whether the practitioner has experience relevant to your needs
• where and how they provide appointments
• fees and payment options
• opening hours and appointment availability
• whether you feel listened to and comfortable asking questions
You can read more in Healthdirect’s guide to finding the right health professional.
A quick registration check can give you useful information
Before seeing a practitioner in an Ahpra-regulated profession, checking the public register is a simple way to confirm that the person is currently registered and to review the public information attached to their registration.
Use the live Ahpra register, make sure the details match the practitioner you are seeing, and read any registration conditions or other public information carefully.
Learn more about Grove Health
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This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for individual medical, legal or regulatory advice. Registration information can change, so check the live Ahpra Register of practitioners for current details.
Sources
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency — Register of practitioners
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency — Top tips: Using the register
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency — Terms in the Register
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency — Professions and Divisions