Resources — Compliance
Healthcare Compliance in 2026 — What You Need to Know
Several regulatory frameworks shape healthcare workforce and service requirements in 2026. Whether you're a facility manager, GP practice owner, on-hire/labour hire host, or a clinician returning to work, this page sets out what applies, what it means operationally, and what to do about it.
215 Care Minutes — What It Is and What It Requires
What changed
From 1 April 2026, all Commonwealth-funded residential aged care facilities must deliver a minimum of 215 care minutes per resident per day, including 44 minutes from a Registered Nurse.
Who is affected
All providers of residential aged care receiving Commonwealth funding. This is not optional. The requirement was legislated under the Aged Care Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Safety) Act.
How compliance is measured
Facilities are required to report staffing data to the Department of Health and Aged Care. The ACQSC uses this data in audits and serious incidents response.
Consequence of non-compliance
Funding clawbacks, compliance notices, and in serious or repeated cases, banning orders and loss of provider approval.
What this means for staffing:
- An RN must be rostered and on-site at all times (see 24/7 mandate below)
- PCW and EN hours count toward the 215 minutes, but RN minutes are separately tracked and mandatory
- A facility with 80 residents must provide approximately 286 hours of total care per day — and 58.7 hours of RN time per day
Our position: If your current roster doesn't reliably meet the mandate, contact us. We place aged care-credentialed RNs specifically for facilities managing compliance pressure.
24/7 RN Mandate — No Exceptions
What it is
Every residential aged care facility in Australia must have a qualified Registered Nurse on-site at all times, including overnight and weekends. A facility manager or enrolled nurse does not satisfy this requirement.
Phased implementation
The mandate has been progressively enforced since 1 July 2024 and is now fully in effect for all providers. No transitional exceptions remain.
Common compliance failures:
- Relying on an EN as the overnight "senior person in charge"
- Using agency nurses who are not AHPRA-registered (or whose registration has lapsed)
- Rostering an RN who is on-call but not on-site
Agency nurses for the 24/7 mandate — every RN we place carries:
- Current AHPRA registration (verified, no conditions)
- Appropriate background clearances for aged care
- Documented aged care experience
We do not supply pool nurses without aged care credentials for RN mandate cover.
What to check before you engage a clinician
All registered health practitioners in Australia are regulated by AHPRA. As an employer or engager, you are responsible for confirming AHPRA status before engagement.
How to verify
Search the AHPRA public register at ahpra.gov.au/registration/registers-of-practitioners
What to check:
- Registration is current (not lapsed or surrendered)
- No conditions, notations, or undertakings that restrict practice
- Division matches the role (e.g., RN not EN for an RN-required position)
- For GPs: confirm the AHPRA number matches the Medicare provider number on billing records
For locum and agency placements: Medcare by Caretakers Australia confirms AHPRA status for every clinician before presenting them to you. We also re-confirm at placement, as registration status can change.
Labour Hire Licensing — What Applies to On-Hire Placements
Locum GP cover, agency nursing shifts, and casual PCW placements are all on-hire / labour hire arrangements in the regulatory sense, not just marketing language. Several states regulate who can provide on-hire staff and who can host them.
Which states require a licence
Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia each operate a labour hire licensing scheme. A labour hire provider operating in these states must hold a current state licence, and — critically for employers reading this page — a host business is legally required to only engage a licensed labour hire provider. Engaging an unlicensed provider carries risk and potential penalties for the host, not just the provider.
What changed for South Australia in 2026
From 29 January 2026, South Australia's labour hire licensing regime broadened to cover all labour hire providers, not just historically high-risk industries. Providers newly brought into scope by this change are required to be licensed by 29 July 2026. If your facility engages on-hire healthcare staff in South Australia, confirm your provider's licence status against this deadline.
What this means if you're engaging Medcare on an on-hire basis
Every enquiry we take now records Engagement Type (On-Hire/Labour Hire vs. Permanent) as a distinct field precisely because this obligation exists — it's the basis for our own licensing compliance and reporting, and it lets us confirm our licence status against the specific arrangement you're entering into. If you host on-hire staff in VIC, QLD, SA, or the ACT, ask your provider for current licence evidence before engagement — this applies to any labour hire provider, not only Medcare.
Provider obligations beyond licensing
Licensed providers are also subject to ongoing obligations — regular reporting, record-keeping, and compliance with relevant workplace laws for the workers they place. These sit alongside, not instead of, the clinical credentialing (AHPRA, indemnity, background checks) covered elsewhere on this page.
Our position: Confirm current Medcare/Caretakers Australia labour hire licence status directly with us before committing to an on-hire engagement in a licensed state. Licensing requirements and thresholds change — most recently in South Australia in 2026 — so this section will be reviewed and updated as schemes evolve.
This section is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the relevant state labour hire licensing authority (e.g. the Labour Hire Authority in Victoria) or your own legal counsel.
Medical indemnity — what GPs and engagers need to know
All medical practitioners in Australia are required to hold appropriate medical indemnity insurance as a condition of AHPRA registration.
For GP practices engaging locums
The locum GP must have their own indemnity cover appropriate for the sessions and location. Major providers: MDA National, MIPS, Avant. Confirm at engagement.
For rural and remote locum work
Some insurers have exclusions or premium loadings for remote locations — confirm with the clinician before the engagement commences.
We confirm indemnity for every GP we place. If it lapses between placement and commencement, we will advise you.
Have a compliance question?
Call 03 9419 4814 or send an enquiry. We'll direct you to the right person.
Contact Us →This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. Providers should consult the ACQSC, AHPRA, or appropriate legal counsel for decisions affecting their compliance position.