HEALTH PROFESSIONS IN AUSTRIA RECOGNITION PROCEDURES Susanne Weiss Federal Ministry of Health, Austria (Department Legal Affairs of Doctors, Psychology, Psychotherapy and Music Therapy, NQF and Lifelong Learning) A-1030 Wien, Radetzkystraße 2

Health Professions in Austria Doctors of medicine: Doctors Act 1998, Federal Law Gazette No. 169/1998 Dental practitioners: Dental Practitioners Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 126/2005 Pharmacists: Pharmacies Act 1906, Law Gazette No. 5/1907 Veterinary surgeons: Veterinary Surgeons Act, Federal Law Gazette No. 16/1975 Clinical psychologists and Health care psychologists: Psychologists Act, Federal Law Gazette No. 460/1990 Psychotherapists: Psychotherapists Act, Federal Law Gazette No. 461/1990 Music therapists: Music Therapists Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 93/2008 Midwives: Midwives Act, Federal Law Gazette No. 310/1994 Cardiotechnicians: Cardiotechnicians Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 96/1998 2

Nursing professions: Nursing Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 108/1997 –General nurses –Paediatric nurses –Psychiatric nurses –Assistant nurses Special allied health professions: Act on Special Allied Health Professions, Federal Law Gazette No. 460/1992 –Physiotherapists –Occupational therapists –Biomedical scientists –Radiological technologists –Logopedics –Orthoptists –Dietictians 3

Health care assistant professions: Act on health Care Assistant Professions, Federal Law Gazette I No. 89/2012 –Operating theatre assistants –Plastering assistants –Doctors assistants –Laboratory assistants –Disinfection assistants –Mortuary assistants Clinical and therapeutic masseurs: Clinical and Therapeutic Masseurs Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 169/2002 Emergency medical technicians (paramedics): Paramedics Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 30/2002 Dental assistants: Dental Assistants Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 38/2012 4

Information on Austrian Health Professions Europass Certificate Supplement: available for health professions secondary/non- tertiary level in German and English europass/zeugniserlaeuterung/ europass/zeugniserlaeuterung/ Brochure „Gesundheitsberufe in Österrreich“ (Health Professions in Austria): currently only available in German 5

All health professions in Austria… … have strict legal regulations:  Reserve of professional activities and professional title  Requirements for professional activities:  valid diploma/certificate of qualification  in case of foreign diploma/certificate: Recognition  evidence of physical and mental health  evidence of trustworthiness  Legally granted privileges and obligations like documentation, discretion, giving information 6

All health professions in Austria… … are each regulated by a special law and ordinance on their professional activities and vocational education and training (VET): e.g. Doctors Act, Act on Nursing Professions, … VET for health professions may only be provided by authorized educational institutions and under the legally regulated conditions. 7

Each law/ordinance on health professions regulates the terms for the recognition of foreign diplomas/ certificates. Examples: Nursing Act, Federal Law Gazette I Nr.108/1997 Ordinance on the recognition of EEA diplomas in general nursing, Federal Law Gazette II Nr. 193/2008 Law and Ordinance on the recognition of EEA diplomas in psychotherapy, Federal Law Gazette I Nr. 144/199 and Federal Law Gazette II Nr.409/1999 8

Recognition of diplomas/ certificates from outside the EU “Nostrification”: Example: Nursing Professions (similar procedures exist for all other health professions) Administrative procedure for applicants: Needed documents (original or authorized copies together with translation into German language by an authorized translator): –Passport –Evidence of principal residence or authorized recipient –Evidence, that the foreign education and training is comparable to the Austrian in scope and contents –Evidence of the attended courses, passed examinations and academic papers –Diploma/certificate on the completion of the education and training, which qualifies for vocational practice in the home state 9

Recognition of diplomas/ certificates from outside the EU Curricula are compared to the correspondent Austrian curricula. Appropriate professional experience can be taken into account. If relevant differences are assessed by an expert opinion:  Recognition only under the condition of passing additional examinations and/or practical training  Decree is issued by competent authority Only after having successfully passed these additional examinations and/or the practical training at an Austrian educational institution for nursing:  Access to profession 10

Competent authorities for the recognition of diplomas from outside the EU Lander (Federal states) with the exception of: Midwives and special allied health professions: Universities of applied sciences Doctors of medicine and Dental practitioners: Medical universities Pharmacists: Universities, Austrian Pharmacists Chamber Veterinary surgeons: Austrian Veterinary Chamber 11

Doctors of medicine: According to the current legal regulation in the Doctors Act an Austrian or EU citizenship (or a status as equally treated third-country national) is required for professional activities as a doctor of medicine in Austria! 12

Recognition of EU diplomas/ certificates Difference between: 1.Automatic recognition - Art. 21 ff, Annex V of Dir.2005/36/EC :  for: doctors of medicine, nurses responsible for general care, dental practitioners, veterinary surgeons, midwives, pharmacists  on the basis of harmonized education and training - minimum training conditions – no comparison of education and training, only of authenticity of documents) 2.General system - Art. 10 ff of Dir. 2005/36/EC:  for all other health professions  comparison of curricula, in case of substantially different matters  compensation measures: aptitude test or adaption period up to three years Equal treatment for third-country nationals under certain conditions (e.g. long-term residents, for the purpose of highly qualified employment/EU Blue Card)! 13

Competent authority for the recognition of EU diplomas/ certificates Federal Ministry of Health with the exception of: Doctors of medicine: Austrian Medical Chamber Dental practitioners: Austrian Dentists Chamber Midwives: Austrian Midwifery Body Pharmacists: Universities, Austrian Pharmacists Chamber Veterinary surgeons: Austrian Veterinary Chamber 14

Duration of administrative procedure and costs  Automatic recognition: up to three months  General system: up to four months (after the applicant has provided all relevant documents)  Costs: up to about € 400,- depending on the profession and the relevant administrative prodedure 15

„One Stop“ short administrative procedure: for special health professions from several EU/EEA Member States  Recognition Decree in one hour! 16

Recognition of EU diplomas in general nursing in Austria 2011

Recognition of EU diplomas/certificates in nursing professions: according to home states 2011

Recognition of EU diplomas in special allied health professions

Recognition of EU diplomas in special allied health professions: according to home states2011

MIND: Recognition may in all cases only be granted if an equal profession is regulated in Austria and a comparable education and training with comparable competences has been successfully completed in the home state! 21

Information Recognition You can find relevant information regarding the recognition of diplomas/certificates in health professions on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit: Information is currently only available in German. National Contact Point in Austria: Mrs Irene Linke Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth, Dep. I/7, A Wien, Stubenring 1 National SOLVIT center Austria: Sylvia Vana, Alexandra Gaudmann-Heber, Christian Müller Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth, Dep. C1/2 22

Information Austrian Education System You can find information on the Austrian Education System on the website of OeAD (Austrian National Agency for Lifelong Learning-Euroguidance): 23

Transposition of Directive 2005/36/EC into Austrian law Amendment of each professional law/ordinance according to Austrian legislation process according to Directive or its amendment (e.g and 2009 – new Member States, third country citizens):  work out a draft law with special comments by Ministry of Health  public examination  government bill  Austrian Parliament: legal procedure (approval of the Lander is needed)  announcement in Federal Law Gazette  entry into force Special Ordinances for professions with automatic recognition for the transposition of Annex V, listing the EEA diplomas: Medical doctors,, Dental Practitioners, Midwives, General nurses 24

Partners involved in the implementation of EU-Directive Federal Ministry of Health as competent authority for all health professions – Competent authority for tertiary education: Federal Ministry of Science and Research Professional bodies/chambers (e.g. Austrian Medical Chamber ) Research institutions (Österreichisches Bundesinistitut für Gesundheitswesen – Austrian Federal Institute for Health Care ) Representatives from all relevant sectors, e.g. from related professions Representatives of training institutions Representatives of hospitals and nursing homes 25

Impact on education of health professions Minimum training requirements of “harmonized” health professions according to Dir. 2005/36/EC had been fulfilled in Austria even before the accession of Austria to EU in 1995  these professions were therefore included in the Annex V without amendment of education and training But: Amendments of VET in health professions are always worked out in accordance with the Directive and regarding and comparing the education and training in Member States  Better further development of education and training in health professions is possible! 26

Draft modifying the Directive 2005/36/EC Required additional steps as soon as the amendment of the Directive will enter into force: Transposition into Austrian national law according to the Austrian legal process – amendment of each relevant law and/or ordinance will be necessary 27

Draft modifying the Directive 2005/36/EC Potential safety benefits for the patient:  European Professional Card: support by Internal Market Information System (IMI)  Automatic recognition on the basis of minimum training requirements: timely notification or new or changed evidence of formal qualifications by the Member States and their publication by the Commission  Nursing and midwifery professions: admission to training increased to twelve years of general education or success in an examination of an equivalent level  Establishment of common training principles in the general system 28

 Language skills: competent autorities should be enabled – in addition to employers – to apply language controls after the recognition of qualifications but before the access to the profession  National Contact Points will become Assistance Centres  Information exchange through Internal Market Information System (IMI): specific alert mechanism for health professionals benefiting from automatic recognition – all Member States should be alerted if a professional due to a disciplinary action or criminal conviction is no longer entitled to move to another Member State 29

Thank you for your attention! 30