Ahpra’s new operating system

Ahpra’s new case management system will better serve practitioners, applicants, notifiers and students, while also providing greater capacity for our regulatory work. The new system was needed to ensure Ahpra could meet its operational requirements to support more than 920,000 registered practitioners, nearly double the number when the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme began 15 years ago.

Practitioners will find the new system more secure, and easier and faster to use, through a new Ahpra portal, a new sign-on experience, and digital smart forms. Those renewing their registration and new applicants for registration will need to set up a new Ahpra portal account using a two-step authentication for enhanced security. Once logged in, they can access all current services from their online services accounts, with a fresh look and improved functionality. 

The portal is a one-stop shop where applicants and practitioners can apply for and renew their registration, securely communicate with Ahpra, advise Ahpra of a notification or concern, and make requests such as asking for a certificate of registration. Those needing to verify their identity will do so through an online biometric identity verification service which enables faster registration, particularly for international applicants. 

The new digital smart forms guide users through their application showing only the questions and information relevant to their situation, allowing them to save and resume their application. The new system also makes making a notification easier through an improved online ‘Raise a Concern’ form that guides notifiers through the process, captures better information to assess the risk to the public from a concern, and helps Ahpra to determine what supports the notifier and the practitioner may need.

A new help portal on Ahpra’s website has frequently asked questions and information to help registration applicants, practitioners and notifiers navigate the new system. Ahpra will also alert registered health practitioners by direct email about the new sign-in and two-step verification processes before it’s time for their registration renewals. In the lead-up to the new system going live, Ahpra provided detailed webinars on our systems to brief key users including health departments, public and private sector employers, professional associations, recruiters, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. 

While the new digital smart forms will improve the online experience for most system users, we recognise this may present challenges for some people. Ahpra will continue to accept some of our current hardcopy and PDF application forms to reduce potential adverse impact to the timely processing of registrations while people get used to the new forms. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to use the new online forms for faster assessment.

A new data model for better data collection is also being rolled out. Over time, the new system will improve our reporting and analytic capabilities. In the interim, we need to re-establish our reporting framework. This may limit our ability to respond to some data requests for a period. Additional upgrades and capabilities to the new system will go live throughout 2025.