If your National Board has told you to seek remediation courses, it wants evidence that you understand the concern and have changed your practice. Choose a course on the subject of the concern, complete it, and show what you learned in a written reflection, not only that you attended. Read the exact words of your notice or conditions first and do what they ask, in the time they allow. Ahpra says it considers the steps you have taken to strengthen your practice, so remediation completed early is part of your response. Speak to your indemnity insurer before you send anything to the Board.
If a concern has been raised about your practice, Remediation for Fitness to Practise covers how to build a remediation plan that answers each part of the concern, with dated evidence. It is A$200 (A$140 with Bulk Buy 10) for 2 CPD hours, self-paced, with a dated certificate on completion.
For what conditions mean and how to meet them, read Conditions on your Ahpra registration.
First, read what the Board has asked for
- The subject. Note the words used for the concern: boundaries, prescribing, documentation, communication, honesty, and so on.
- The time frame. Note any date by which you must finish and report.
- What to send. Note what the Board asks you to send afterwards, such as evidence of completion or a reflective report.
- Anything unclear. Ask your case officer or your insurer before you act, not afterwards.
How to choose a course
- It covers the subject of the concern. Match the course to the words in your notice or conditions.
- It is built on your Board's standards. A course grounded in your Board's code of conduct and guidelines is easier to relate to the concern in your reflection.
- It sets out what it covers. You can then show the Board how the course relates to the concern.
- It asks you to think, not only to read. Reflective questions and an assessment give you material for your reflection.
- It gives you dated evidence of completion. Keep it with your other records.
- It fits your time frame. Check the course length against the time you have.
A course for conditions on your registration: online, from any state
Start with the condition’s own words. They say what you must complete, by when, and what you must send Ahpra afterwards; if anything is unclear, ask Ahpra or your adviser before you start.
Our courses are online and self-paced, for practitioners in every state and territory, including New South Wales and Queensland. Each one ends with a dated certificate naming the course and its 2 CPD hours.
Send the certificate with a short reflective report: what the concern was, what the course covered, and what you now do differently. Our guide on how to write a reflection for Ahpra sets out the four steps.
Starting before the Board decides
You can begin remediation while a notification is being assessed. Ahpra says it considers "any steps taken by you or your workplace to strengthen your practice", including "actions you may have taken after reflection to reduce the likelihood of future risk" and "actively reflecting, reviewing and updating knowledge and skills". At the assessment stage it looks at "what has changed or has happened since the notified concerns" and at "the responses, reflections and actions by the practitioner".
Ahpra's regulatory principles say it applies "the regulatory response necessary to manage the risk". Remediation completed before the decision can be evidence about that risk. Send it through your indemnity insurer or lawyer, as part of your response. If the notice uses terms such as unprofessional conduct or professional misconduct, our guide on what each term means explains them.
How to show the Board what you learned
A certificate shows you finished a course. The Board also wants to see what you understood and what you now do differently. That is the work of a reflective report.
Ahpra's information sheet on reflective reports, endorsed by all National Boards except the Medical Board of Australia, sets out four steps:
- Description of what happened and the concern.
- Feelings and response at the time and since.
- Evaluation and analysis of what went wrong and why, using what the course taught you.
- Conclusion and change: what you now do differently in your practice.
The sheet says 200 to 250 words per section should be sufficient, that there is no strict word limit, and that an action plan is not required. If you are a doctor, check what the Medical Board of Australia asks for in your own notice. Our guide on how to write a reflection for Ahpra works through each step, and what Ahpra means by insight and remediation explains what the Board looks for.
Our courses
Healthcare Ethics Australia's remediation courses are self-paced and built on the codes, guidelines and standards of practice of Ahpra and the National Boards. Each course page sets out what the course covers. Remediation for Fitness to Practise has eight sections and 33 lessons, with a reflective quiz closing each of the first seven sections and a post-course assessment at the end. Each course gives a dated certificate on completion.
We cannot promise any outcome. To find the course on the subject of your concern, see the courses for your profession.
Sources and further reading
- Ahpra: Reflective reports information sheet
- Ahpra: What to expect if a concern is raised about you
- Ahpra: Assessment
- Ahpra: Regulatory principles
Frequently asked questions
What kind of course should I choose?
A course on the subject of the concern, built on your Board's code of conduct and guidelines, that asks you to reflect and gives you dated evidence of completion. Read the words of your notice or conditions first, and choose a course that answers them.
Should I do a course before the Board makes its decision?
You can. Ahpra says it considers steps you have taken to strengthen your practice, including updating your knowledge and skills after reflection. Speak to your indemnity insurer about how to include the evidence in your response.
How long should my reflective report be?
Ahpra's reflective reports information sheet says 200 to 250 words per section should be sufficient, and that there is no strict word limit. It sets out four sections: description, feelings and response, evaluation and analysis, and conclusion and change.
Is a certificate enough to show the Board I have remediated?
A certificate shows completion. The Board also looks at what you have understood and changed, which is what a written reflection shows. Ahpra's reflective reports sheet sets out four steps: description, feelings and response, evaluation and analysis, and conclusion and change.
Can I do a course for Ahpra conditions online?
Yes, where the condition’s wording allows it. Our courses are online and self-paced, for practitioners in every Australian state and territory, including New South Wales and Queensland, and each ends with a dated certificate naming the course and its 2 CPD hours. The condition’s own wording decides what you must complete, so read it first and ask Ahpra or your adviser if it is unclear.
What do I send the Board after a course?
Send what the condition or the Board’s letter asks for. With a course, that is the dated certificate and a short reflective report: what the concern was, what the course covered, and what you now do differently in your practice.
This article is published by Healthcare Ethics Australia for general information. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from your indemnity insurer, professional association or a lawyer about your own matter.