New South Wales Consolidated Acts

HEALTH PRACTITIONER REGULATION NATIONAL LAW (NSW) - SECT 141

141 Mandatory notifications by health practitioners other than treating practitioners

(1) This section applies to a registered health practitioner (the
"first health practitioner" ) who, in the course of practising the first health practitioner's profession, forms a reasonable belief that--

(a) another registered health practitioner (the
"second health practitioner" ) has behaved in a way that constitutes notifiable conduct; or

(b) a student has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

(2) The first health practitioner must, as soon as practicable after forming the reasonable belief, notify the National Agency of the second health practitioner's notifiable conduct or the student's impairment.

Note--: See section 237 which provides protection from civil, criminal and administrative liability for persons who, in good faith, make a notification under this Law. Section 237(3) provides that the making of a notification does not constitute a breach of professional etiquette or ethics or a departure from accepted standards of professional conduct and nor is any liability for defamation incurred.

(2A) However, subsection (2) does not apply if the first health practitioner forms the reasonable belief in the course of providing a health service to the second health practitioner or student.

(3) A contravention of subsection (2) by a registered health practitioner does not constitute an offence but may constitute behaviour for which action may be taken under this Part.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1), the first health practitioner does not form the reasonable belief in the course of practising the profession if--

(a) the first health practitioner--

(i) is employed or otherwise engaged by an insurer that provides professional indemnity insurance that relates to the second health practitioner or student; and

(ii) forms the reasonable belief the second health practitioner has behaved in a way that constitutes notifiable conduct, or the student has an impairment, as a result of a disclosure made by a person to the first health practitioner in the course of a legal proceeding or the provision of legal advice arising from the insurance policy; or

(b) the first health practitioner forms the reasonable belief in the course of providing advice in relation to the notifiable conduct or impairment for the purposes of a legal proceeding or the preparation of legal advice; or

(c) the first health practitioner is a legal practitioner and forms the reasonable belief in the course of providing legal services to the second health practitioner or student in relation to a legal proceeding or the preparation of legal advice in which the notifiable conduct or impairment is an issue; or

(d) the first health practitioner--

(i) forms the reasonable belief in the course of exercising functions as a member of a quality assurance committee, council or other body approved or authorised under an Act of a participating jurisdiction; and

(ii) is unable to disclose the information that forms the basis of the reasonable belief because a provision of that Act prohibits the disclosure of the information; or

(e) the first health practitioner knows, or reasonably believes, the National Agency has been notified of the notifiable conduct or impairment that forms the basis of the reasonable belief.