Chiropractic Council announces increase in NSW registration fees for 2017/18

The Chiropractic Council of New South Wales has announced an increase in the complaints component of the registration fee for NSW chiropractors for 2017/18 to better regulate the profession in NSW and protect public health and safety.

For chiropractors with a principal place of practice in NSW, the fee will increase from $417 to $520 effective from 15 September 2017. The fee covers the registration period for chiropractors from 1 December 2017 to 30 November 2018.

Chiropractic Council Deputy President, Dr Lawrence Whitman, said the changes are necessary to allow the Council to effectively regulate chiropractors in NSW.

‘The Council is funded solely from practitioner registration fees. After careful consideration, the Council has increased the NSW fee to ensure it has sufficient resources to act as an effective regulator to protect the public and maintain trust and confidence in the profession,’ Dr Whitman said.

The Council’s primary role is to protect public health and safety in NSW by regulating chiropractors. In NSW, this includes managing complaints, taking immediate action when necessary to protect public health and safety, and providing oversight so that practitioners can safely practice and serve the community.

Dr Whitman says that in determining budget forecasts and the associated level of fees, the Council has made considered projections concerning future costs.

‘The slight increase in fees paid by NSW chiropractors will enable the Council to manage the increasing volume and complexity of regulatory activities,’ Dr Whitman said. ‘However, chiropractors in NSW continue to pay less than chiropractors elsewhere in Australia,’ he added.

The Council continues to work with the Chiropractic Board of Australia to promote continuing education and learning among the chiropractic profession, to help proactively minimise complaints.

To support its regulatory activities, the Council has been investing in essential information and communications technology systems. ‘Improvements in this area will allow the Council to better serve both the public and practitioners,’ Dr Whitman said. ‘The additional income will allow the Council to improve efficiencies and the complaints management process for all parties,’ he said.

Annual registration for chiropractors is managed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. More information on 2017/18 registration fees for chiropractors is available on the Chiropractic Board of Australia website.

Background

The Chiropractic Council of NSW is a statutory body which manages complaints about the conduct, performance and health of registered chiropractors working in NSW and students in NSW. The Council’s primary objective is to protect public health and safety.

The Council works with the Health Care Complaints Commission to jointly assess all complaints. In all other states and territories (except Queensland), complaints are managed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with the Chiropractic Board of Australia.

In NSW, chiropractors pay an annual registration fee set by the Chiropractic Board of Australia. The Chiropractic Council is responsible for setting a component of this fee, referred to as the ‘complaints component’ or ‘regulatory component’. This regulatory component covers the cost of regulating the profession in NSW to protect public health and safety.

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