The department is responsible for implementing the Non-Emergency Patient Transport and First Aid Services Act 2003 (the Act) and the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Regulations 2026 (the regulations).
The Act and Regulations establish the requirement for Non-Emergency Patient Transport providers to be licensed and prescribe patient safety and quality standards.
Non-Emergency Patient Transport Regulations 2026
The Non-Emergency Patient Transport Regulations 2026 (the Regulations) were made under section 64 of the Act and come into operation on 18 April 2026.
The Regulations were remade with targeted amendments following review and consultation undertaken in early 2026. Feedback from formal public consultation undertaken in early 2026 helped shape the final regulations.
Statement of Reasons
The Statement of Reasons summarises feedback received through the Regulatory Impact Statement consultation and outlines the department’s response.
Secretary’s determinations – NEPT staff qualifications, skills and competencies
The Regulations enable the Secretary to determine the necessary skills, competencies and qualifications of NEPT staff under regulations 19 and 20, and require those determinations to be published on the department's website. These determinations reflect the qualifications, skills and competencies that applied in practice under the 2016 Regulations and 2024 Clinical Practice Protocols.
Guidance materials are available to support NEPT licensed providers to understand and comply with the Act and Regulations.
Clinical Practice Protocols
The Clinical Practice Protocols (CPPs) are for use by NEPT licensed providers for the triage and care of patients during an episode of care.
Updated 2026 CPP's
This 2026 version of the CPPs has been updated to include minor revisions to align with the NEPT Regulations 2026 (the Regulations).
The department received valuable feedback on the 2024 CPPs from stakeholders during the regulation consultation process. The department will ensure these stakeholder insights are considered during the next clinical review update of the CPPs.
The updated 2026 CPPs are effective from 18 April 2026. We encourage all stakeholders to review the documents to prepare for the upcoming implementation. Please refer to the change log for more details.
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