Warning: Warning: SACAT hears and determines disciplinary actions against health practitioners under the Health Practitioners Regulation National Law (South Australia) Act 2010 (external site) (external site)

What can SACAT do?

Extension of an interim prohibition order

SACAT can receive applications from AHPRA or the relevant national board to extend an interim prohibition order after it's expiry. SACAT may confirm, extend,  substitute or set aside an interim prohibition order.  Further applications may be made by AHPRA or the national board to  revoke or vary an extended interim prohibition order.

Disciplinary complaints

SACAT can receive applications for disciplinary action by the relevant national board where the board reasonably believes that the health practitioner has behaved in a way that constitutes professional misconduct. SACAT may also review registration and disciplinary decisions of the Pharmacy Regulation Authority SA under the Act.

A member of the public may not make an application to SACAT with respect to discipline of a health practitioner under the National Law. However, any person may make a notification to the relevant national board about the conduct, competence, fitness or impairment of a registered, or formerly registered, health practitioner.

Under the Act, SACAT has the power to

  • caution or reprimand the practitioner
  • impose a condition on the practitioner's registration, including, for example a condition requiring the practitioner to
    • complete specified further education or training, or to undergo counselling, within a specified period
    • undertake a specified period of supervised practice
    • do, or refrain from doing, something in connection with the practitioner's practice
    • manage the practitioner's practice in a specified way
    • report to a specified person at specified times about the practitioner's practice
    • not employ, engage or recommend a specified person, or class of persons
  • require the practitioner to pay a fine of not more than $30,000 to the National Board that registers the practitioner
  • suspend the practitioner's registration for a specified period
  • cancel the practitioner's registration.

If SACAT decides to impose a condition on the practitioner's registration, the tribunal must also decide a review period for the condition.

If SACAT decides to cancel a person's registration under this Law or the person does not hold registration under this Law, the tribunal may also decide to—

  • disqualify the person from applying for registration as a registered health practitioner for a specified period
  • impose a period during which the person may not apply for a reinstatement order
  • prohibit the person, either permanently or for a stated period, from doing either or both of the following—
    • providing any health service or a specified health service
    • using any title or a specified title.
  • impose restrictions, either permanently or for a stated period, on the provision of any health service or specified health service

Reinstatement Orders

If seeking reinstatement, a health practitioner whose registration has been cancelled or who has been disqualified by SACAT must apply to the Tribunal for a reinstatement order before applying to the relevant national board for re-registration. The application for a reinstatement order may not be made until the end of any period set by the Tribunal during which the person is disqualified from applying for registration or prohibited from applying for a reinstatement order.

SACAT can make an order dismissing the application or granting the reinstatement order.

If a reinstatement order is granted, the person must then apply to the relevant national board of registration. SACAT may impose conditions upon the person's registration that will apply if the national board re-registers the person.

If the application for a reinstatement order is dismissed, SACAT may impose a period during which the disqualified health practitioner cannot make another application for a reinstatement order.

Applying for disciplinary action

When applying to SACAT you must be in a position to:

  • identify the legislative provision(s) you rely on
  • state and describe the conduct said to justify the disciplinary findings, and identify the relevant legislative provisions relied upon
  • identify the facts, acts or omissions alleged to constitute the conduct that justifies the disciplinary finding
  • provide any supporting documents
  • pay any relevant application fees.

  1. Start an online application . (external site) (external site)
  2. In the keyword field in Step 2, type the word ‘health' as shown below.
  3. If you are not sure you have selected the correct application type, you can hover over the ‘question mark’ on the right-hand side to see a brief description.

There is no fee to lodge a disciplinary complaint with SACAT under the Health Practitioners Regulation National Law (South Australia) Act 2010 (external site) (external site).

I need more help

If you have further questions call SACAT on 1800 723 767.

A staff member from SACAT can also help you complete your application over the phone.

Warning: Warning: SACAT can also review certain decisions made under Health Practitioners Regulation National Law (South Australia) Act 2010.