I have a mental health condition; however, it is stable and well managed by my clinicians and doctor. I have never practised while unwell and haven’t made a declaration to AHPRA that I have an impairment. My doctor recently gave me a letter to say I am safe to practise and has told me to submit this to AHPRA. Do I need to do this?

The National Law defines impairment as “a physical or mental impairment, disability, condition or disorder (including substance abuse or dependences) that detrimentally affects or is likely to detrimentally affect your capacity to practice the profession”.

An illness or health condition that is safely managed is not the same as an impairment, as the latter do not have detrimental impacts on your capacity to practice. There is no obligation for you to report your stable health condition to AHPRA.

As your condition is safely managed by you, clinicians, and your doctor, it does not count as an impairment.

For further information on mandatory reporting, you can visit the AHPRA website:

https://www.ahpra. gov.au/Notifications/ mandatorynotifications/Mandatory- notifications.aspx

A helpful article by the Black Dog Institute can be located on this link:

https://www.blackdoginstitute. org.au/theessential- network/faqs-for-ten/faqs-for-mandatory-reporting/