Practical guides for Australian healthcare practices
RACGP accreditation, Privacy Act compliance, NDB obligations, and IT security. Written for practice managers and healthcare professionals who need real answers, not legal jargon.
Health Professionals Award: What Changes on 1 October 2026
The Health Professionals Award gets a new classification structure and stage 1 pay rises on 1 October 2026. What every practice must do before the deadline.
NDIS Changes on 1 October 2026: The Deadlines That Bite
NDIS changes on 1 October 2026: the SIL and platform registration deadline, the 30 September portal lockout, and where the budget resets actually stand.
Medical Practice Payroll Underpayment: The $17M Fair Work Warning
Payroll underpayment is a live Fair Work risk for medical practices after $17M in 2026 enforceable undertakings. Here is the pattern and how to self-audit.
6 Website Privacy Mistakes That Could Trigger an OAIC Investigation
Six website privacy mistakes, from tracking pixels to weak consent, that could trigger an OAIC investigation of your practice, and how to fix each one.
Medicare Integrity Crackdown 2026: What the Budget Means for Practices
The 2026-27 Budget put $146.8m into Medicare integrity and fraud detection from 1 July 2026. Here is what the crackdown targets and what practices must do.
AHPRA Criminal History Registration Standard: What Changes on 15 July 2026
AHPRA's revised criminal history registration standard takes effect 15 July 2026: what changed, the factors the Boards weigh, and what practices should do.
5 Reasons NDIS Providers Get Banned in 2026 (and How to Avoid Each One)
The five recurring grounds behind NDIS Commission banning orders, the 2026 Fraud Fusion Taskforce cases that show the pattern, and the control that protects a compliant provider against each one.
NSW WHS Codes Become Enforceable on 1 July 2026: Practice Guide
From 1 July 2026, NSW WHS codes of practice become an enforceable duty. Here is what the change means for health and care practices, and what to do now.
OAIC Tracking Pixel Ruling: What Health Practices Must Fix Now
The OAIC found Medmate and Monash IVF breached patient privacy with website tracking pixels. Here is what the ruling means and what your practice must check.
NDIS Pricing 2026-27: What Changes on 1 July for Providers
NDIS price guide 2026-27, effective 1 July: psychology up, dietetics and exercise physiology cut, new therapy line items, 4.8% support worker rise.
Support at Home Price Caps Deferred: What Providers Must Know in 2026
Support at Home price caps were deferred in May 2026. Here is what changes on 1 July 2026, the new regulator powers, the IHACPA pricing advice, and what providers must do.
AHPRA Cosmetic Injectable Rules: What Clinics Must Fix in 2026
AHPRA's cosmetic procedure and advertising guidelines reshaped injectable clinics from 2 September 2025: a nurse experience minimum, mandatory consults, and ad bans.
Practice Employer Changes 1 July 2026: Payday Super and Award Rise
From 1 July 2026 super must be paid every payday and award rates rise 4.75%. What every healthcare practice employer must fix before the deadline.
Updating NDIS Service Agreements for the 1 July 2026 Price Changes
NDIS service agreement requirements for 2026: the mandatory inclusions every provider needs and how to update agreements before the 1 July price changes.
My Health Record Sharing by Default: What Changes on 1 July 2026
From 1 July 2026, prescribed providers must upload pathology and imaging to My Health Record by default. The 4 exceptions, penalties, and extension process.
NDIS Changes 1 July 2026: What Providers Must Know
NDIS changes on 1 July 2026: mandatory SIL and platform registration, a new SIL Practice Standards module, the published 2026-27 prices, and a provider checklist.
Medicare Changes 1 July 2026: What GPs and Practices Must Know
Medicare changes on 1 July 2026: 2.6% MBS indexation, digital bulk billing consent, the My Health Record upload mandate, and a practice readiness checklist.
NDIS Compliance Checklist 2026: Audit Prep Guide for Providers
The complete NDIS compliance and audit checklist for 2026: the 7 evidence areas auditors check, the most common non-conformities, and free policy templates.
PSR Compliance 2026: Care Plan Template Risk and Six-Figure Repayments
What the PSR is targeting in 2026: non-individualised care plan templates, the 80/20 and 30/20 rules, and the six-figure repayments GPs are agreeing to.
DVA Fee Changes 2026: New Compensation Assessment Rates and Billing Integrity Rules
DVA updated its compensation assessment fees on 9 February 2026 and will index them every 1 July. Here are the new GP rates and the billing rules to follow.
ePIP Compliance 2026: Shared Health Summaries and Non-Compliance Letters
ePIP compliance hinges on uploading shared health summaries for 0.5% of your SWPE each quarter. Miss the target and the department claws back the payment.
GP Payroll Tax 2026: State-by-State Status After the Amnesties Ended
GP payroll tax 2026 by state: QLD exemption, VIC/ACT bulk-billed only, SA amnesty closed, NSW rebate, WA common law, TAS pending. What applies to you.
AHPRA Telehealth Prescribing: What Changed in October 2025 and What It Means in 2026
AHPRA October 2025 telehealth guidance: questionnaire-only prescribing is not good practice. What real-time consult means, who's affected, what to do.
Medicare Assignment of Benefit: What Changes on 1 July 2026
Medicare assignment of benefit changes on 1 July 2026: digital SMS and web forms replace paper, pre or post visit consent, and a new 2-year retention rule.
NDIS Reform Roadmap 2026 to 2030: Securing the NDIS Bill Dates
The Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026 sets the staged reform timeline to 2030. Every date providers must plan for, in one place.
Thriving Kids 1 October 2026: Early Childhood and Allied Health Impact
From 1 October 2026, Thriving Kids replaces the NDIS access pathway for many children 8 and under. What paediatric allied health providers must do now.
NDIS Support Coordination 2026: The Mandatory Registration Pause
Mandatory registration for standard support coordinators (group 0106) has been paused while the government designs a commissioned model starting July 2028. Specialist support coordinators (group 0132) remain subject to existing certification requirements. All support coordinators, registered or not, still face Code of Conduct penalties up to $82,500 per breach.
NDIS Practice Standards 2026: Modules by Registration Group
Which NDIS Practice Standards modules apply to you: the Verification Module, the four Core Module sections, and Specialist Modules by registration group.
NDIS Audit Pathways: Certification vs Verification and Mid-Term Audits
NDIS audit pathways explained: certification vs verification, the two-stage audit process, mid-term audits at 18 months, and non-conformity timeframes.
NDIS Registration Groups Explained: All 36, Audit Type, Mandatory Status
There are 36 NDIS registration groups across 7 categories. Eight trigger a certification audit; the rest use verification. From 1 July 2026, SIL providers must be registered or face criminal charges. Allied health, plan managers and standard support coordinators use the lighter verification pathway.
AHPRA Mandatory Notifications: Who Reports, What Triggers, Common Mistakes
Under Section 140 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, practitioners and employers must notify AHPRA when four specific conduct triggers are met. AHPRA received 13,327 notifications in 2024-25, up 19%. Missing a mandatory notification when the threshold is met is itself a compliance failure.
Employee or Contractor in an Australian Medical Practice (2026)
Three different laws apply three different tests to the same working arrangement. Getting worker classification wrong in a medical practice exposes the business to PAYG liability, SG charge, Fair Work back-pay, and criminal wage theft risk since 1 January 2025.
Significant Event Analysis in General Practice: RACGP Step-by-Step Guide
Significant event analysis is a mandatory clinical governance activity under RACGP accreditation, and a valid CQI evidence type under both the 5th and 6th edition Standards. Most practices log incidents but never complete the structured review the Standards actually require.
Informed Consent Documentation in Australian Healthcare (2026)
Rogers v Whitaker requires disclosure of all material risks before any procedure. AHPRA's Shared Code of Conduct and RACGP Criterion C1.3 specify exactly what must be documented. Consent record gaps are a leading driver of medico-legal claims and AHPRA notifications.
Patient Complaint Handling in General Practice: RACGP Requirements
RACGP Criterion QI1.2 requires every accredited GP practice to maintain a documented complaint system and a complaints register as evidence. Unresolved complaints can escalate to state Health Complaints Commissioners or AHPRA. This guide covers what your system must include and how each pathway works.
Clinical Audits for RACGP Accreditation: A Step-by-Step Guide
An incomplete audit cycle is one of the most common reasons GP practices receive conditional RACGP accreditation. Under CQI.1 of the RACGP 6th Edition Standards, every practice must complete at least one documented clinical improvement activity per 12-month period. This guide covers every stage surveyors will check.
AHPRA Registration Expiry: What Healthcare Employers Must Check
AHPRA registration checks for employers: verify and track practitioner registration, expiry dates and conditions, and the penalties for getting it wrong.
TGA UDI Compliance 2026: What Healthcare Practices Need to Know Before July
From 1 July 2026, Class IIb and Class III medical devices must carry a Unique Device Identifier under TGA regulations. Mandatory adverse event reporting for hospitals and day hospital facilities began on 21 March 2026. This guide covers what both changes mean for GP practices, allied health clinics, and day procedure centres.
Automated Decision-Making, Privacy Act: Healthcare Dec 2026 Deadline
From 10 December 2026, every health service provider using AI or algorithmic tools that affect patient care must update its privacy policy to disclose that use. The obligation comes from APPs 1.7-1.9 introduced by the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024, and penalties for non-compliance reach $330,000 per contravention.
NDIS Unregistered Providers 2026: The Compliance Obligations You Still Have
Being unregistered with the NDIS does not mean being unregulated. Code of Conduct breaches carry civil penalties up to $82,500 per incident, the NDIS Amendment Act 2025 created new criminal offences applying to unregistered providers, and the Commission named unregistered enforcement a 2025-26 priority.
NDIS Worker Screening: What Providers Must Do After the Clearance Arrives
A worker's NDIS clearance is the start of your obligation, not the end. Checks from February 2021 are expiring now, SIL mandatory registration arrives 1 July 2026, and the NDIS Commission's 2025-26 priorities name worker monitoring as a compliance target.
Aged Care Act 2024: GP and Allied Health Provider Obligations in 2026
The Aged Care Act 2024 commenced 1 November 2025. GP practices and allied health businesses delivering services to aged care residents now carry Code of Conduct obligations, worker screening duties, and SIRS awareness requirements that most have not yet reviewed.
Better Access 2026: GP Compliance After the November 2025 MHTP Overhaul
Twelve MBS items for mental health treatment plan reviews and consultations were removed from 1 November 2025. Practices still using old workflows or failing the new MyMedicare and telehealth clinical relationship rules face audit risk in 2026.
MBS March 2026: Patient-End Support, ECG 11714, Health Assessments
Three MBS changes took effect 1 March 2026: new Patient-End Support items for GPs attending specialist video consults, ECG item 11714 restored with a documentation requirement, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessments freed from age-based clinical activity restrictions.
NDIS New Framework Planning 2026: What Allied Health Providers Need to Know
From 1 July 2026, NDIA staff using the I-CAN v6 tool replace allied health reports as the primary evidence source for most adult NDIS plans. Here is what OTs, physios, and speech pathologists need to know before the rollout begins.
NDIS SIL Mandatory Registration 2026: The Provider Checklist Before 1 July
NDIS SIL mandatory registration starts 1 July 2026. Who must register, the certification audit, the criminal penalties, and the checklist to start today.
RACGP 6th Edition Migration Guide: From 5th Edition in 2026
Step-by-step guide to migrating from RACGP 5th to 6th Edition. Covers gap analysis, the six new mandatory requirements, evidence mapping, and a realistic 12-week migration timeline.
NDIS Restrictive Practices Compliance 2026: Provider Guide
Regulated restrictive practices are the NDIS Commission's number one regulatory priority for 2025-26, with enforcement actions up 214% year on year. This guide covers the five types of regulated restrictive practices, behaviour support plan requirements, state authorisation obligations, and what every implementing provider must have in place.
Starting a Medical Practice in Australia: 2026 Compliance Checklist
Opening a new medical practice in Australia? This is the end-to-end compliance playbook. Business registrations, Medicare provider numbers, RACGP accreditation timing, Privacy Act and NDB obligations, Fair Work, and infection control, with 2026-specific changes built in.
NDIS Amendment Bill 2025: Criminal Penalties, SIL, July 2026 Deadline
The NDIS Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 passed Parliament on 31 March 2026. Criminal penalties, mandatory SIL registration, and expanded banning powers are now law. Here's what changes and what to do next.
Ransomware Reporting: 72-Hour Cyber Security Act Deadline for Healthcare
The Cyber Security Act 2024 requires Australian healthcare practices with $3M+ turnover to report ransomware payments within 72 hours. Here's what the obligation covers and how it differs from the NDB scheme.
AI Privacy for Healthcare: 2026 OAIC Compliance Guide
AI scribes, diagnostic tools, and ChatGPT in Australian healthcare: what OAIC and the Privacy Act 1988 require, APP 8 cross-border rules, and the December 2026 automated decision-making disclosure deadline.
Cybersecurity Compliance Checklist for Australian GP Practices
Most GP practices sit at the lowest cybersecurity maturity level. Here's the practical checklist covering RACGP CISS, the Essential Eight, and regulatory obligations your practice must meet.
Telehealth Medicare Billing 2026: New MBS Items, 80/20 Rule, MyMedicare
Telehealth Medicare billing rules for 2026: 23 new MBS items, MyMedicare 12-month rule exemption, the 80/20 and 30/20 rules, and $1.7M in recent PSR repayments. Compliance guide for GPs.
Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP) Compliance Guide
BBPIP compliance demands every eligible service be bulk billed for every eligible patient. Here's what your practice needs to track each quarter to qualify and avoid clawback.
MyMedicare Compliance Obligations for Registered Practices in 2026
MyMedicare registration unlocks chronic condition items, telehealth access, and BBPIP eligibility, but only if your practice meets the accreditation, enrolment, and record-keeping obligations.
Healthcare Data Breach Obligations Australia (2026 NDB Guide)
Australian healthcare data breach obligations in 2026: the 30-day NDB scheme rule, the $5.8M Australian Clinical Labs penalty, My Health Record Act and Cyber Security Act 2024 ransomware reporting.
Medicare Compliance Audits 2026: The 80/20 Rule Explained
Learn how the Medicare 80/20 rule works, what triggers a Professional Services Review, and practical steps to keep your Australian GP practice compliant in 2026.
Australia's New Privacy Tort: What Healthcare Practices Need to Know
Australia's new privacy tort lets patients sue your clinic directly for serious breaches. Here is what changed in June 2025 and what your practice needs to do now.
NDIS Billing for Allied Health: What You Can Charge in 2025-26
Confused about NDIS non-face-to-face billing rules for allied health in 2025-26? Learn what OTs, physios, speech pathologists and psychologists can legally claim, and what gets providers in trouble.
NDIS Fraud 2026: $86M Blocked, 2,500 Providers Disrupted
NDIS Fraud Fusion Taskforce stats for 2026: $86M blocked, 635 active investigations, 2,500 providers disrupted, 20,000 high-risk claims reviewed monthly. What compliant providers must do now.
NDIS Provider Registration and Compliance: Healthcare Practice Guide
A practical guide to NDIS registration, audit types, and ongoing compliance for Australian healthcare providers, including GP practices, allied health, and dental clinics.
RACGP 6th Edition Standards: What Australian GP Practices Need to Know
The RACGP 6th Edition arrives in 2026 with new mandatory requirements. Here is what Australian GP practices need to know before the transition window closes.
7 Common RACGP Accreditation Failures in Australian GP Clinics
Based on data from over 3,000 Australian GP practices, these are the accreditation gaps that most often catch clinics out. Plus, practical fixes for each one.
Getting Started with RACGP Accreditation for Practice Managers
A practical overview of RACGP 5th Edition accreditation for practice managers: what to expect, where to start, and how to organise your IT evidence.