Newsletter: November 2017

The Council has reviewed the information it displays on its public register and the relationship to our statutory obligations and our processes.

Legal obligations

Section 138(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (the HPCAA) sets out information to be entered on the register. This is:

• The practitioner’s name
• The qualification(s) that enabled the practitioner’s registration
• The scope(s) of practice that the practitioner is registered in
• Any limitations on the practitioner’s scope (for example conditions)
• The practitioner’s current practising status.

In addition, we can enter other information as we consider appropriate—for example contact and address details of practitioners.

Historically

Under the Dental Act 1988, there was an express provision that “additional” qualifications (qualifications beyond the qualification(s) used to register with the Council) be recorded on the register. This provision was not provided for under the HPCAA. Instead it provides for the register to include “qualifications by virtue of which the health practitioner is registered”. At the time of implementation of the HPCAA, the Council established a policy to continue the recording of “additional” qualifications on the register. 

Council position

Over recent months, the Council reviewed its statutory obligations to the information it displays on its public register.

The Council holds the view that the purpose of the public register is to advise the public of the registration, scope of practice and the practising status of a practitioner.

It is not intended to be a comprehensive record of the practitioner’s education, training and experience; or an advertising portal to the public.

Furthermore, in 2016 the Council accepted the orthodontic working group report recommendations, once of which was: … to revisit its policy on the publication of post nominal qualifications; with only registerable qualifications to be listed on the Dental Council public register.

Accordingly, the Council adopted the following position:

Only qualifications that directly enable a practitioner to register in a particular scope of practice will be displayed on the public register, in a standardised format.

Consequently, the Council decided in principle to rescind its registration of additional qualifications and titles policy.

Changes to public register

The Council is currently developing and implementing a new IT system.  One of the key tasks for the IT project is the transfer of the current registry data into the new format required by the new system.  This provides an ideal opportunity to standardise the format of qualifications displayed on the public register.

As a result, a number of changes will be made to the qualifications listed on the public register: 

• Only the qualifications that granted you registration for a scope of practice will be displayed on the public register.

Qualifications currently listed that did not enable registration in the particular scope of practice will be removed (e.g. PhD, postgraduate diplomas, or fellowships/memberships that are not prescribed qualifications)

If you only hold registration in a dental specialist scope of practice and not the general dental scope of practice, then only the relevant postgraduate qualification will be displayed. If you hold registration in more than one scope of practice the qualifications relevant to each scope of practice will be displayed.

• To accurately reflect the prescribed qualification for those practitioners who gained registration on the basis of an overseas undergraduate (or postgraduate) qualification plus a pass in a registration examination, or licensing/registration requirements—both these requirements will be displayed.

For example, the overseas BDS and the New Zealand dentist registration examination (NZDREX) will be displayed. 

• Only the overseas qualification(s) that were assessed, under section 15(2) of the HPCAA, as equivalent to, or satisfactory as a prescribed qualification in a particular scope of practice will be listed.
• The short courses related to the previous “additional” scopes of practice for dental hygiene, orthodontic auxiliaries and dental therapists will no longer be listed on the public register.[1] Only the primary qualification(s) and/or approved experience assessed for registration in the “general” scopes of practices will be displayed. This does not change the status on any exclusion(s) related to a practitioner’s scope of practice.

What does this mean for you?

This means that your qualification(s) currently listed on the Council’s public register could change.

You have the right, and can continue to advertise your professional qualifications on your advertising or promotional material, as long as you ensure that it complies with part 5 of the Council’s advertising practice standard.

The public register changes will only occur when the new IT system has gone live. We will advise you of the date closer to the time.

In the meanwhile, if you want to share your views with the Council on its positions reflected above, please contact us at comms@dcnz.org.nz