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Independent ethics and professionalism CPD for Australian health practitioners

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Concerns

Find learning by the concern that has been raised

Whether a notification letter names a legal category or a specific topic, start here to understand what the concern means and which courses address it.

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A judge’s gavel resting on a law book beside a stethoscope

Two ways a concern is described

When someone raises a concern about a registered health practitioner, it tends to be described in two different ways. The first is the language of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, which sorts concerns into health, conduct and performance and uses defined terms such as unprofessional conduct, professional misconduct, unsatisfactory professional performance and impairment. Those terms decide which processes apply and which outcomes are available.

The second is the subject matter: what the concern is actually about. A letter from Ahpra or a co-regulatory body will usually describe the issue in plain terms, such as communication with a patient, prescribing, record-keeping, advertising or a boundary concern. Most practitioners recognise their situation in this second description first.

This section is organised both ways. Use the legal categories to understand how serious a matter is and how it may be handled. Use the topic pages to find practical learning on the behaviour or practice area in question. Many matters involve both, and some involve more than one of each.

Courses that explain how concerns are handled

Start with the course that matches your category, or with the overview of fitness to practise if you want the whole system explained first.

These pages explain the National Law definitions in plain English, how Ahpra and the National Boards assess each one, the usual range of outcomes and where education can sensibly support a response.

  • Unprofessional conduct

    Professional conduct of a lower standard than the public or professional peers might reasonably expect. The most common conduct category, usually handled by a Board or panel.

  • Professional misconduct

    Conduct substantially below the expected standard, a pattern of unprofessional conduct, or conduct inconsistent with being a fit and proper person. Only a tribunal can make this finding.

  • Unsatisfactory professional performance

    Knowledge, skill, judgement or care below the standard of a peer with equivalent training or experience. About standards of practice, not character.

  • Health and impairment

    A health condition becomes a regulatory matter only when it detrimentally affects, or is likely to affect, capacity to practise. Handled through confidential health pathways.

The categories side by side

CategoryThe question askedWho usually decidesTypical range of outcomes
Unprofessional conductDid the conduct fall below what the public or peers would reasonably expect?National Board (often through a committee or delegate) or a performance and professional standards panelNo further action, caution, undertaking, conditions, reprimand by a panel
Professional misconductWas the conduct substantially below the standard, part of a pattern, or inconsistent with being fit and proper to hold registration?A responsible tribunal, after referral by a Board (or the co-regulatory body in NSW)Reprimand, conditions, fine, suspension, cancellation, disqualification
Unsatisfactory professional performanceDid knowledge, skill, judgement or care fall below that of an equivalent peer?National Board, often after a performance assessment, or a panelEducation, supervision, audit or scope conditions; undertakings
ImpairmentDoes a health condition detrimentally affect, or is it likely to affect, capacity to practise?National Board after a health assessment, or a health panelTreating practitioner reports, screening, limits on hours or settings; suspension in serious cases

Concerns by topic

Topic pages focus on the practice area or behaviour behind a concern, with the standards that apply, common scenarios and the most relevant courses.

  • Sexual boundaries

    Sexualised comments, improper examinations, relationships with patients and the 2026 register changes.

  • Professional boundaries

    Dual relationships, gifts, self-disclosure, treating family and friends.

  • Honesty and probity

    Truthfulness in records, billing, declarations, CVs and dealings with the regulator.

  • Clinical care

    Assessment, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and practising within competence.

  • Prescribing and medicines

    Schedule 8 and high-risk medicines, self-prescribing and prescribing for people close to you.

  • Communication and consent

    How information is shared, informed and financial consent, and difficult conversations.

  • Records and documentation

    Contemporaneous notes, late entries, corrections and access to records.

  • Advertising

    Testimonials, misleading claims, inducements and the Ahpra advertising guidelines.

  • Cosmetic practice

    Suitability assessment, cooling-off, consent and advertising for cosmetic procedures.

  • Privacy and confidentiality

    Disclosure, record access, My Health Record and data breaches.

  • Workplace conduct

    Bullying, harassment, teamwork and conduct towards colleagues and students.

  • Cultural safety

    Respectful, culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Why one concern often touches several categories

Regulators look at the whole picture, and the categories overlap in practice. A run of medication errors might reflect a performance gap, an unrecognised health problem such as exhaustion, or a conduct issue if records were changed afterwards to hide them. A boundary breach can sit anywhere from unprofessional conduct to professional misconduct depending on what happened, how often and with whom.

For that reason, it helps to read the page for the legal category alongside the page for the topic. The category page tells you what is at stake and how decisions are made. The topic page tells you what good practice looks like in that area and where your own learning might focus.

Location matters too. In New South Wales, complaints are managed by the Health Care Complaints Commission together with the relevant professional council. In Queensland, the Office of the Health Ombudsman receives complaints and refers some to Ahpra and the Boards. The names and processes differ, but the same concepts of health, conduct and performance apply everywhere.

Using this section if a concern has been raised about you

  1. Get advice before you respond

    Contact your professional indemnity insurer, medical defence organisation or lawyer before you reply to Ahpra, your Board, your employer or the person who raised the concern. Note every deadline in the correspondence.

  2. Identify what is actually being raised

    Read the correspondence carefully. Note the topic of the concern and, where it is stated, the legal category or the type of process proposed.

  3. Read the matching pages

    Use the category page to understand the process and possible outcomes, and the topic page to understand the standards that apply to the conduct or practice in question.

  4. Reflect honestly before choosing any learning

    Work out whether there is a genuine gap in knowledge, skill or behaviour. Learning chosen to match a real gap is more useful, and more credible, than a collection of unrelated certificates.

  5. Keep evidence of what you learn and change

    Keep certificates, reflective notes and records of changes to your practice. Record the actual time you spend against your own CPD plan.

  6. Confirm acceptability before relying on a course

    If you have conditions or an undertaking, confirm with Ahpra or your Board, and your adviser, whether a particular course is acceptable before you rely on it.

Structured programs

Programs group related courses into a sequence. They suit practitioners who want a planned path rather than a single course.

Received a notification?

Our notification help page sets out the first practical steps, what to avoid and how education fits, alongside advice from your insurer or lawyer.

Read the notification help guide

Questions about concerns and categories

What is the difference between unprofessional conduct and professional misconduct?

Unprofessional conduct is conduct below the standard the public or professional peers might reasonably expect. Professional misconduct is more serious: conduct substantially below the standard, a pattern of unprofessional conduct that together is substantially below it, or conduct inconsistent with being a fit and proper person to hold registration. Only a tribunal can find professional misconduct.

Does every notification lead to an investigation?

No. Ahpra and the Boards take a risk-based approach. Many notifications are closed after a preliminary assessment, for example because the concern is not supported or the practitioner has already taken appropriate steps.

Is having a health condition a regulatory concern?

Not in itself. The National Law is concerned with impairment, which means a condition that detrimentally affects, or is likely to detrimentally affect, capacity to practise. A well-managed condition is generally not an impairment.

How do I know which category my matter falls into?

The correspondence you receive will describe the concern and, at later stages, the process or category being considered. If it is unclear, ask your indemnity insurer or lawyer to explain it before you respond.

Will completing a course resolve a notification?

No course can guarantee any regulatory outcome. Targeted learning can support genuine reflection and change, which Boards consider, but it does not by itself demonstrate insight or satisfy any condition or undertaking.

Does Ahpra approve or accredit your courses?

No. Practitioner Ethics is an independent education provider. Our courses are not accredited, and they are not approved by Ahpra or any National Board. You decide whether a course fits your CPD plan and record the time you actually spend.

Do these pages apply in New South Wales and Queensland?

The concepts apply nationally, but complaints in New South Wales and Queensland are managed through co-regulatory arrangements with different bodies and processes. Check which body is handling your matter.

Primary sources

Links go to official regulator and government websites. Check them for the current version before relying on any requirement.

Related courses

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Received a notification?

Calm first steps: who to call first, what not to do and where education fits in your response.

Read the first-steps guide

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Three quick questions to a short list of courses for your profession and situation.

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