Interim prohibition orders
The Health Ombudsman can issue an interim prohibition order if an unregistered health practitioner’s health, conduct or performance means they pose a serious risk to people, and immediate action is necessary to protect public health and safety. This could be due to an unregistered health practitioner:
- practising unsafely, incompetently or while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs
- financially exploiting a person
- engaging in a sexual or improper personal relationship with a person
- discouraging someone from seeking clinically accepted care or treatment
- making false or misleading claims about the health benefits of a particular health service
- making false or misleading claims about their qualifications, training, competence or professional affiliations.
An interim prohibition order can prohibit or restrict a health practitioner from providing any health service, or a specific health service.
Prohibition orders
Unregistered practitioners, who have been issued with an interim prohibition order by the Health Ombudsman, may apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) to have the decision reviewed.
However, if QCAT forms the view that the practitioner is a serious risk, it can make an order—by way of a prohibition order—prohibiting the practitioner from providing any health service.
Corresponding interstate orders
The Health Ombudsman can also enforce a prohibition order, or an interim prohibition order, issued in another state or territory where that prohibition order corresponds (or substantially corresponds) to the type of prohibition order that can be made in Queensland.
To find corresponding interstate prohibition orders, refer to the published registers for the states listed below:
To find information on healthcare complaints and related matters in other states, refer to the links below: