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June 2025 Newsletter
Deputy President's message
Over the past few months, Council members have been getting out and about. In this newsletter you’ll learn more about our online roadshow which showcased some of our important work, along with examples of the types of deliberations Council may consider. Some members also attended the recent Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) Conference in Adelaide.
Over the next 12 months the Medical Radiation Practice Council plans to expand the roadshows with more opportunities through ASMIRT NSW to present at conferences; and stakeholder engagement with our sitting members and with the National Board.
Congratulations to Justine Trpezanovski on her appointment as President of the Medical Radiation Practice Council.
I would also like to thank my fellow Council members for their generosity and support as a community member stepping into the deputy president’s role. Their willingness to enable community members to participate fully in Council’s shared decision-making is a testament to their dedication and professionalism - thank you. Medical radiation practitioners are in good hands in NSW.
Prue Warrilow
Deputy President and Community Member
Notifications / complaints about a practitioner’s behaviour*
There are two types of notifications or ways to raise concerns about a registered practitioner’s behaviour:
- voluntary notification – anyone can make a notification if they are concerned about a registered practitioner’s behaviour, including another registered practitioner.
- mandatory notification – a registered practitioner must make a notification regarding another practitioner if they believe their behaviour may place the public at risk.
Anyone can make a complaint (notification) about a practitioner
Anyone can make a complaint about the clinical care, treatment, professional behaviour or health of a registered health practitioner in NSW. Below are some of the most common types of complaints received by Councils.
Concerns about unsafe clinical care and treatment, such as:
- misdiagnosing a condition
- not providing the right treatment
- breaching infection control standards
- not keeping or recording important information in patient records
- breaching a restriction on their registration.
Concerns about practitioner behaviour, such as:
- disclosing confidential patient information
- engaging in sexual misconduct with a patient
- not adequately explaining the risks of a proposed treatment
- not being responsive to patient needs
- refusing to see a patient
- providing excessive, unnecessary or inappropriate health services.
Health concerns
Councils also manage concerns where a practitioner has a health issue or impairment that could place the public at risk if not properly managed, such as a psychiatric or psychological issue or a problem with alcohol or drugs.
Mandatory notifications
A more complex area for practitioners is mandatory notifications. To protect the public from the risk of harm, registered health practitioners and their employers are legally required to make mandatory notifications in certain circumstances. This obligation is set out under Section 140 of the National Law.
Mandatory notifications relate to:
- who is required to make a notification
- how to make a notification
- how notifiers are legally protected when doing so.
What must be reported as a mandatory notification?
Under the National Law, a mandatory notification must be made when a practitioner becomes aware of certain concerns that may pose a risk to the public including:
• impairment
• intoxication while practising
• significant departure from accepted professional standards
• sexual misconduct.
Who must make a mandatory notification?
There are three categories of people who may be required to make a mandatory notification:
- treating practitioners
- non-treating practitioners
- employers of practitioners.
The table above identifies the grounds for making a mandatory notification. More information can be found on the Aphra website regarding mandatory notifications.
In NSW, if you believe a practitioner’s behaviour is placing the public at risk you can submit a notification to the HPCA by completing the online complaints form.
Note: NSW and Queensland operate the notification process differently from other states. If you contact Ahpra directly, you may be advised to refer your concern to the NSW HPCA (or, in Queensland, the Office of the Health Ombudsman). It is important to follow up if you are advised to do so. An Ahpra staff member will advise you whether your concern requires a notification and can guide you through the process in NSW.
As medical radiation practitioners we must be aware that individuals and even groups may associate our behaviour event outside the workplace with our professional role. If you are wearing identifiable items such as a name or radiation badge, or identify yourself as a medical radiation practitioner, members of the public may associate your conduct as representative of the whole profession. There are many examples of this in the media. It is important that we recognise that others may not be able to separate our work role from that of our personal lives.
All practitioners should be familiar with information on the Council website regarding notifications in this state, as well as the mandatory notification requirements outlined in this article and on the Ahpra (and MRPBA) and Health Care Complaints Commission websites.
If you have any questions or concerns, please consider contacting the NSW Medical Radiation Council Executive Officer on HPCA-MedicalRadiationPracticeCouncil@health.nsw.gov.au
*Please note: The information in this section is sourced from the NSW HPCA website and/or the Aphra website. It refers only to practitioners practising in NSW, as other states may have different processes.
Council member conferences and stakeholder engagement
- Justine Trpezanovski, MRP Council President
Since our last newsletter, Alison, Tony and I attended the ASMIRT conference held in Adelaide at the end of March. This was a joint effort with the NZ Institute of Medical Radiation Technology. Although many of the sessions were thought-provoking and insightful from a Council perspective, the professional practice session was particularly valuable.
Panel members from both professional bodies and regulators spoke about: -
- aligning professional standards with rapidly changing technology
- using AI as a tool to support efficiency and improve decision-making – not replace it
- advancing scope of practice and advance practice roles.
In April, Alison and I gave a small virtual presentation to a group of MRPs in Western NSW. We explained who we are, what we do and shared some examples of cases we consider regularly. Feedback indicated the information was useful and relevant. We hope to deliver more of these presentations throughout 2025 in partnership with the ASMIRT NSW Branch and local sub-branches.
If you are part of a professional body that may be interested in a similar presentation please reach out via the HPCA-MedicalRadiationPracticeCouncil@health.nsw.gov.au
In late May, I attended the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) conference in Melbourne with Alison Brown. It was lovely to catch up with colleagues and provide some insight into what we do as Council members and where we sit in the landscape for notifications and regulations of MRP’s in NSW. Discussions with our MRP Board colleagues were very fruitful and hopefully we will be able to join them on a joint booth at conferences in 2026.
We hope to connect with you either online or in person soon.
EOI for professional members
The Medical Radiation Practice Council of NSW (the Council) is currently seeking expressions of interest from medical radiation practitioners to be appointed as members.
These members may be required to:
• sit on the Impaired Registrants Panel
• sit on the Performance Review Panel
• conduct professional performance assessments for the Council
• sit on the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
Professional members do not sit on the Council itself - they are contacted as needed to assist with matters related to the panels listed above.
If you are interested in becoming a professional member, please submit your expression of interest by COB 13 July 2025, indicating your availability and the area/s you are willing to assist in.
The Council will review applications against the following criteria:
- demonstrated integrity, impartiality, open-mindedness, judgement and fairness in senior leadership roles within the medical radiation profession or other health settings
- a sound knowledge and understanding of the relevant legislation, registration standards, codes and guidelines for the profession
- a strong understanding of the duties, obligations and objectives of the role.
Applicants must submit:-
- a brief statement addressing each of the selection criterion and
- a current curriculum vitae (maximum of 5 pages).
Please send applications to HPCA-MedicalRadiationPracticeCouncil@health.nsw.gov.au.
Professional members are remunerated in line with NSW Government policy, please see section 8.3 of the NSW Government Boards and Committees Guidelines.
Further information about this opportunity and how to apply can be found on our website.
