Credentialing & scope clinical practice

To ensure the quality and safety of patient care, the qualifications and professional reputation of all clinical staff at Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) must be thoroughly checked before they can treat patients.

Who needs to be checked?

All clinical staff at DHSV who are eligible for registration under the Health Professions Registration Act 2005 and appointed or contracted as:

• DHSV employees
• University of Melbourne employees
• RMIT employees
• Clinical demonstrators
• Postgraduate students (undergraduates are not included)
• ADC examiners
• Private practitioners

What checks are carried out?

• Qualifications and professional standing verified prior to appointment.
• Referee checks prior to appointment.
• Professional registration checked annually.
• Procedures permitted to perform by clinician approved by expert panel and reviewed every five years.
• Continuous monitoring.

This process meets the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care national standard for credentialing and defining the scope of clinical practice of medical practitioners in public and private hospitals and Credentialing and defining the scope of clinical practice for medical practitioners in Victorian Health Services – a policy handbook, Department of Human Services, 2009.