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Regulation Update: Strengthening Professional Standards for Sonography
Sonographers play a critical role in the healthcare system, providing essential diagnostic imaging services that guide clinical decisions.
In recognition of that, the ASA has been a longstanding advocate for appropriate and consistent regulation of sonographers given the important role regulation plays in protecting patients, ensuring professional standards, and maintaining the integrity of healthcare services.
In Australia, approximately 25% of sonographers who also have radiographer or nuclear medicine qualifications are regulated under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) legislation – administered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). This means that approximately 75% of sonographers fall outside the NRAS system.
For over 10 years, the ASA has advocated for all sonographers to be part of NRAS and for sonography to become an AHPRA-registered profession. This has been driven by concerns about patient safety and the need to ensure that all sonographers meet consistent minimum standards for ethical and professional practice, professional development and management of complaints.
Statutory regulation also aligns Australia with international standards, such as those in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada, where sonographers are already regulated. For instance, in New Zealand, all sonographers are regulated by the Medical Radiation Technologists Board (MRTB) which sets the legislative and professional standards they must comply with.
In 2023, the ASA made a strong push to achieve NRAS regulation. Together with other stakeholders, the ASA made a detailed submission to federal and state governments presenting the case for statutory regulation. A public relations campaign was undertaken to highlight the risks to patients of an unregulated profession and held meetings with Ministers and government at the state and federal levels. Yet, despite these significant efforts, no government has committed to sponsoring the case for regulation. Government sponsorship is an essential prerequisite for sonography to become an AHPRA-registered profession.
In 2024, the ASA has decided to take a dual approach to its advocacy for sonography regulation. We will continue to advocate for statutory regulation but take a longer-term approach to achieve this goal. In the meantime, we will work with other key sector stakeholders to explore further opportunities to raise professional standards and enhance self-regulation.
Currently, self-regulation in sonography is fragmented with multiple bodies involved and undertaking different aspects such as the accreditation of sonography university courses and the assessment of overseas qualified practitioners. There are also key self-regulatory elements not yet in place. For instance, there is no scope of practice or complaints standard in place for all sonographers.
Through a combination of self-regulation initiatives and continued advocacy for statutory recognition, the ASA will continue to lead the way in shaping the future of sonography in Australia and New Zealand
In the absence of statutory regulation, self-regulation offers a powerful and more flexible alternative to maintain and improve professional standards. Setting and benchmarking those standards against equivalent AHPRA ones shows the sonography profession is proactive about its future and laying the necessary groundwork for a more seamless transition towards statutory NRAS regulation.
In the coming months, the ASA will be undertaking several projects to raise professional standards. One will be to work with members and other key stakeholders to develop a scope of practice. It will also be revising its code of conduct to align with the Australian National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers and the NZ MRTB Code of Ethical Conduct. Taking this approach is timely. Two current reviews by the Australian Government highlight the increasing
focus on healthcare regulation at the highest policy levels. The Scope of Practice Review examines ways to remove barriers that prevent health professionals from working to their full scope. The NRAS Complexity Review is exploring changes to how new professions can join NRAS and how self-regulating professions can have greater opportunities and recognition within the NRAS framework. These reviews present opportunities for the ASA to further its case for sonography’s inclusion under NRAS.
At the same time, other health professions such as audiology are also under consideration for NRAS regulation, with the Queensland Government currently leading a regulatory impact assessment. As suggested by the SA Health Minister Chris Picton MP, this presents an additional opportunity for sonography to leverage and ride the wave towards statutory recognition of sonography.
NZ too is currently embarking on a period of review following a recent revision of the competence standards for medical imaging and radiation therapy practitioners and an upcoming more in-depth review of the competence standards and scope of practice.
The ASA remains focused on its commitment to achieving statutory regulation for sonographers in Australia and to ensuring that the standards introduced are relevant and applicable for sonographers in both Australia and New Zealand. However, self-regulation is more than a stopgap – it is an opportunity for the sonography profession to showcase its dedication to excellence and commitment to patient safety and quality care. Through a combination of self-regulation initiatives and continued advocacy for statutory recognition, the ASA will continue to lead the way in shaping the future of sonography in Australia and New Zealand.
