Health and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2009
These are the key amendments to the Workers' Compensation
and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (the Act) which came into effect
from 3 November 2009.
For more information about the amendments refer to the
Health and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2009 (the
Amendment Act).
Section 132
The Amendment Act amends section 132 of the Act to allow
claimants for compensation to submit to the insurer a medical
certificate in the approved form given by a nurse practitioner who
attended the claimant, in circumstances where the application
relates to a minor injury and the nurse practitioner was acting in
accordance with the workers' compensation certificate protocol.
Section 141
Section 141 of the Act, in relation to the date when the
claimant's entitlement to compensation commences, has been amended
for circumstances where the claimant is assessed by a nurse
practitioner. A claimant's entitlement to compensation arises on
the day when the claimant is assessed by a nurse practitioner, in
circumstances where the application relates to a minor injury and
the nurse practitioner is acting in accordance with the workers'
compensation certificate protocol.
Schedule 6 - Dictionary
Schedule 6 of the Act has been amended to include dictionary
definitions of a number of key terms introduced to the Act by the
inclusion of provisions addressing nurse practitioners attending
claimants and issuing medical certificates.
Minor injury means an injury that does
not require a person's hospitalisation as an in-patient to properly
treat the injury.
Nurse practitioner means a
registered nurse whose annual licence certificate is endorsed to
show authorisation to practise as a nurse practitioner.
Workers' compensation certificate
protocol means a document certified by Q-COMP's Chief
Executive Officer and the Chief Executive (Health), which states
the circumstances or conditions under which a nurse practitioner
may issue a medical certificate to a claimant.