Undertaking a comprehensive national review of qualifications and skill set in health administration and general practice will ensure they are aligned with current industry needs, regulatory requirements and evolving patient-care methodologies. We will also create clear and sustainable career pathways to support existing and future growth in the industry.
Key objectives
- Align qualifications with contemporary workforce demands, regulatory requirements, technological advancements and patient management practices.
- Improve workforce capability to ensure that graduates meet current industry expectations and are job-ready.
- Enhance training pathways to support clear career progression and increase workforce attraction and retention in health administration and medical practice management roles.
Project scope
We will review 4 qualifications, 1 skill set and 11 units of competency which support training for a range of job roles including:
- health administrators
- health practice managers
- medical practice assistants
- medical receptionists / secretary.
The project will consider job tasks, performance expectations, assessment conditions and the incorporation of new tools and techniques shaping the future of dentistry.
Qualifications and units of competency
Qualifications
- HLT37315 Certificate III in Health Administration: reflects the role of administrative workers in the health industry. These workers follow known routines and procedures, taking responsibility for their own work under general supervision. They combine communication, customer service and technical skills and use discretion and judgement to adapt and transfer their skills to different situations.
- HLT47321 Certificate IV in Health Administration: reflects the roles of individuals who work in operational or team leading roles in health administration. The skills in this qualification must be applied in accordance with federal, state or territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.
- HLT47715 Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting: prepares individuals for operational support roles such as medical practice assistant, medical receptionist and medical secretary. These roles are crucial in managing daily patient interactions, administrative tasks, patient coordination and frontline services essential to practice efficiency.
- HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management: equips health practice managers for overall practice management including financial management, risk management, compliance adherence, human resources management and strategic operational oversight. This qualification underpins effective management of increasingly complex healthcare practices.
The purpose of the HLT37315 Certificate III in Health Administration and HLT47321 Certificate IV in Health Administration qualifications is to support multiple related occupations. The purpose of the HLT47715 Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting and HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management qualifications is to support a specific occupation.
Skill set
Units of competency
Fact sheet
Project Governance
A Technical Committee (TC) comprising of industry experts has been established to provide specialised advice for this project. Members were carefully selected based on their relevant expertise and experience in areas critical to the project.
View the Terms of Reference and Technical Committee members.
The TC will work with HumanAbility in this project to:
- identify relevant stakeholders to consult with about the project
- provide insights on proposed communication and consultation strategies
- provide technical knowledge on the skills and knowledge required to meet graduate outcomes and workforce needs.
Our Project Consultation Strategy has been finalised and is available to download.
We are committed to developing training products that meet industry standards and enhance workforce capability by identifying gaps and opportunities in health administration and practice management skills development.
Our Health Administration and Practice Management Functional Analysis Report provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse roles, functions and skills required across healthcare administration and practice management settings. It outlines the key competencies required to meet industry expectations and supports workforce development by exploring nationally endorsed training pathways for health administration and practice management professionals.
Methodology
To ensure accuracy and relevance, the functional analysis research process included desktop research and stakeholder interviews. Desktop research involved reviewing job advertisements, organisational structures, industry reports, workforce data and government publications to understand workforce skill requirements in health administration and practice management. We also identified emerging trends in healthcare delivery, digital health systems, patient-centred care, regulatory compliance and business operations.
For interviews, we engaged with employers, industry representatives, registered training organisations and subject matter experts working across general practice, specialist medical practices, allied health services, and other healthcare settings to gather practical insights into roles, functions, sub-functions, skills, and knowledge requirements. These conversations helped us identify the specific tasks, challenges and competencies employers prioritise in health administration and practice management, including patient administration, appointment and scheduling systems, health information management, business operations, financial and billing processes, quality and compliance, customer service, and the coordination of healthcare services.
We also gained a deeper understanding of employer expectations and current and future workforce needs, enabling us to define functions and sub-functions that guide workforce development and inform training product solutions tailored to the health administration and practice management sector.
Functional Analysis Report
Transitioning BSB Medical Administration units
The BSB Medical Administration units have been incorporated into the Health Administration and Medical Practice project. As part of this review, these units will transition from the BSB Training Package to the HLT Training Package and be recoded accordingly at project completion. This transition aligns the units with their primary industry application, as they are medical in focus, predominantly used in health service settings and supported by stakeholders from the health sector. Moving them to the HLT Training Package supports stronger alignment with industry expectations, workforce outcomes and training package structure. This work has been undertaken in collaboration with Future Skills Organisation and aligns with the Training Package Organising Framework.
Qualifications, Units of Competency and Skill Sets
Following inclusion of the BSBMED units of competency, there are now 4 qualifications, 15 units of competency and one skill set specific to health administration and general practice. A feedback survey on these training products was open until May 12th 2026.
Qualifications
Units of competency
Skill Set
February to March 2026
We invited registered training organisations, educational experts, subject matter experts, industry bodies, unions, employers, providers, employers, First Nations people and other relevant stakeholders to attend a consultation workshop for the Health Administration and General Practice Qualification Review. The workshops were to help us:
- understand industry changes and the skills, knowledge, practice and requirements needed for HLT37315 Certificate III in Health Administration, HLT47321 Certificate IV in Health Administration, HLT47715 Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting, HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management qualifications
- understand current challenges, gaps, opportunities and potential solutions
- identify and inform changes for the qualifications, units of competency and skill sets
- identify functions that are common across all settings/specific settings and pathways within the sector
- gain advice on the development of resources, guidance on delivery and pathways information.
Following an online information session (05/02), consultations were held between Tuesday 10 February and Thursday 19 March 2026. In person workshops were held in Melbourne (10/02), Sydney (03/03), Darwin (03/03) and Brisbane (05/03). Online workshops were held on 23, 24 and 26 February and on 19 March. A feedback survey was also available online until Friday 27 March 2026.
Summary of Proposed Changes
The health administration and general management qualifications are being updated to ensure they reflect current industry standards, technologies and workforce expectations. The proposed changes strengthen alignment with current industry requirements and quality assurance practices.
View Proposed Changes
Key updates include clearer role delineation across qualification levels and refreshed content that supports safe, compliant and efficient health administration and practice management services. The review also focuses on improving career progression pathways, enhancing workforce capability and ensuring qualifications remain relevant to the evolving needs of healthcare facilities and regulatory frameworks.
We invited you to provide feedback on the health administration and medical practice qualifications via survey which closed on Friday 27 March 2026.
Consultation log
Validation
Following the feedback we received during the first round of consultation, we made a second draft of training products for the Health Administration and General Practice Qualification Review available for review. This validation round of consultation was conducted through our new consultation portal.
Feedback on these documents was open until 5pm Tuesday 16 June 2026.
All feedback provided during this window will be reviewed before the draft training products are submitted to the Senior Responsible Officers.
Summary of proposed changes
Companion Volume Implementation Guide Companion Volume Implementation Guide Appendix