9AClasses of healthcare provider that may be assigned a healthcare identifier by the service operator—individual healthcare providers and healthcare provider organisations

#### 9A Classes of healthcare provider that may be assigned a healthcare identifier by the service operator—individual healthcare providers and healthcare provider organisations Healthcare identifiers for individual healthcare providers (1) The service operator may, under paragraph 9(1)(a), assign a healthcare identifier to an individual healthcare provider if: (a) the individual healthcare provider is registered by a registration authority as a member of a health profession; or (b) the individual healthcare provider is represented by a professional body through which the individual healthcare provider is: (i) provided with the credentials required to practice the healthcare profession, having regard to the admission requirements and tertiary qualifications set by the professional body, which must be a qualification at level 7 or above of the Australian Qualifications Framework (within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003) or at an equivalent level prescribed by the regulations; and (ii) regulated and subject to oversight by the professional body that satisfies the requirements of subsection (11); or (c) the individual healthcare provider is included in a class of individual healthcare providers prescribed by the regulations. Healthcare identifiers for a healthcare provider organisation that is a seed organisation, or is not part of a network (2) The service operator may, under paragraph 9(1)(a), assign a healthcare identifier to a healthcare provider organisation that is a seed organisation for a network, or that is not part of a network, if: (a) at least one of the linked individual healthcare providers of the organisation is an individual who: (i) is an identified healthcare provider; and (ii) provides healthcare as part of his or her duties or with the support, or using the facilities, of the organisation; and (b) one, and only one of the employees of the organisation is the responsible officer for the organisation; and (c) either: (i) the organisation has at least one other employee who is an organisation maintenance officer for the organisation; or (ii) the responsible officer for the organisation is also the organisation maintenance officer for the organisation. Healthcare identifiers for network organisations (3) The service operator may, under paragraph 9(1)(a), assign a healthcare identifier to a healthcare provider organisation that is a network organisation within a network if: (a) the seed organisation for the network: (i) has been assigned a healthcare identifier that has not been retired; and (ii) does not object to the network organisation being assigned a healthcare identifier under this subsection; and (b) the responsible officer for the seed organisation for the network is also the responsible officer for every network organisation within the network; and (c) there is an organisation maintenance officer for the network organisation; and (d) the organisation maintenance officer for the network organisation is: (i) an employee of the network organisation (the first network organisation); or (ii) an employee of the seed organisation for the network; or (iii) an employee of another network organisation within the network that is hierarchically superior to the first network organisation. What is a network of healthcare provider organisations? (4) A network of healthcare provider organisations is a group of healthcare provider organisations each of which satisfies one of the following criteria: (a) the healthcare provider organisation is part of, or subordinate to, another healthcare provider organisation within the group; (b) another healthcare provider organisation within the group is part of, or subordinate to, the healthcare provider organisation. What is the seed organisation for a network? (5) A healthcare provider organisation is the seed organisation for a network if: (a) there is at least one other healthcare provider organisation that is part of, or subordinate to, the organisation; and (b) the organisation is not itself part of, or subordinate to, another healthcare provider organisation. What is a network organisation within a network? (6) A healthcare provider organisation is a network organisation within a network if it is part of, or subordinate to, another healthcare provider organisation within the network. Responsible officers (7) A person is the responsible officer for a healthcare provider organisation if the duties of the person include the following: (a) nominating the organisation maintenance officer or officers for the organisation to the service operator; (b) requesting the assignment or retirement of a healthcare identifier for the organisation; (c) if there is a network organisation of the organisation: (i) nominating the organisation maintenance officer for the network organisation to the service operator; and (ii) requesting the assignment or retirement of a healthcare identifier for the network organisation; (d) if the organisation is part of a merger or acquisition—requesting the merger or reconfiguration of a healthcare identifier for the organisation. Organisation maintenance officers (8) A person is an organisation maintenance officer for a healthcare provider organisation if the duties of the person include the following: (a) nominating to the service operator at least one additional person to be an organisation maintenance officer of the organisation, if required; (b) maintaining information that is held by the service operator about the organisation; (d) providing any other information requested by the service operator about the organisation for which the organisation maintenance officer is responsible; (e) if the organisation (the seed organisation) has a network organisation: (i) nominating to the service operator another person who meets the employment criteria in paragraph (3)(d) to be the organisation maintenance officer for the network organisation—either on the initiative of the seed organisation or if required by the service operator to do so; (ii) requesting the assignment or retirement of a healthcare identifier for the network organisation; (iii) maintaining information that is held by the service operator about the network organisation; (v) providing any other information requested by the service operator about the network organisation for which the organisation maintenance officer is responsible; (vi) if the network organisation is part of a merger or acquisition—requesting the merger or reconfiguration of a healthcare identifier for the organisation. Sole practitioners (9) The service operator may assign a healthcare identifier under paragraph 9(1)(a) to a healthcare provider organisation that is a sole practitioner even though subsection (2) is not satisfied, if the sole practitioner: (a) provides healthcare as part of his or her duties; and (ab) has been assigned an individual healthcare provider identifier: (i) under paragraph 9(1)(a) on the basis of subsection 9A(1); or (ii) under subsection 9(2); and (b) performs the duties of a responsible officer and organisation maintenance officer. Duties of the responsible officer performed by another person (10) For the purposes of subsection (7), a person does not cease to be a responsible officer for a healthcare provider organisation if a duty mentioned in subsection (7) is performed by another employee of the organisation on behalf of the person. When a professional body satisfies requirements (11) In order for a professional body to satisfy the requirements of this subsection as mentioned in subparagraph (1)(b)(ii), regulation or oversight must at a minimum include all of the following in relation to individuals whose credentials are provided by the professional body: (a) requirements for such individuals to comply with the standards of practice and ethical conduct set by the professional body and expected of such individuals; (b) requirements for such individuals to comply with any written constitution, rules, articles of association, by‑laws or codes of conduct; (c) requirements for such individuals to maintain professional skills and knowledge by continuing professional development; (d) the ability for the professional body to impose sanctions on such individuals for a contravention of a requirement mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c).