The Health Professional Councils Authority (HPCA) is the administrative body that supports the health professional councils in NSW.

The HPCA was set up in July 2010 as part of Australia’s National Registration and Accreditation Scheme and we are governed by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW).

The Health Professional Councils Authority (HPCA) is an administrative agency of the NSW Ministry of Health. The Director of the HPCA reports to the NSW Ministry of Health, and HPCA staff are employed through the NSW Ministry of Health.

The HPCA employs Executive Officers and other staff to help councils and adjudicating bodies carry out their functions. Executive Officers are responsible for the management of councils' business, subject to their directions. The Executive Officers play a critical role in assessing the risk to public health and safety posed by practitioners who are the subject of a complaint.

Staff employed by the HPCA provide administrative, clinical and legal advice and services to support decision-making by the councils and their delegates in response to complaints and the management of practitioners who are the subject of conditions imposed on their registration. Staff also provide shared finance, IT and other services.

The councils are statutory bodies established to protect the public under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW).

The councils, supported by the HPCA, work with the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) in a partnership called co-regulation. Together, we manage complaints about registered health practitioners and students registered to undertake health practitioner training in NSW and decide which agency should deal with each complaint.  The HCCC has a wider role in complaints management covering unregistered health practitioners and health services.

The councils in NSW are made up of practitioner, legal and community members. Most members are nominated by the NSW Minister for Health and appointed by the Governor of NSW.

You can read more on each Council website:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice
• Chinese Medicine
• Chiropractic 
• Dental
• Medical
• Medical Radiation Practice
• Nursing and Midwifery
• Occupational Therapy 
• Optometry 
• Osteopathy 
• Paramedicine
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Psychology.