From 13 July 2026 the Schedule 1 material for information, communication and reporting is the Sixth Edition 2026, replaced in the table by item 9 and corrected in title by the No. 4 instrument.
What the provision does
Item 9 repeals table item 4 in clause 1 of Schedule 1 to the 2017 Principles and substitutes a new item. The new item names the Requirements for information, communication and reporting (Sixth Edition 2026), publication year 2026. The item commenced on 13 July 2026. The No. 4 instrument, F2026L00934, commenced immediately after Part 1 and re-enacted the item without the comma in the title, so the current compilation reads "information communication and reporting". The substance is unchanged.
Why it matters
The standard is the one NATA assesses against for the communication of pathology information. The Explanatory Statement says the Sixth Edition rewrites the fourth standard, which deals with messaging conformance, so that laboratories follow a messaging standard approved for Australia, and HL7 Version 2.4 as localised here is the floor, with the option to adopt HL7 FHIR. It also records that the change supports the uploading of pathology reports to My Health Record by default from 1 July 2026.
What changed, and when
Item 9 commenced on 13 July 2026 and substituted the ICR Sixth Edition 2026 in the Schedule 1 table. It is not a fee-repeal consequential; it is the standard change. The No. 4 instrument re-enacted the item without the comma immediately after Part 1 commenced.
This unit is one of the ten that commenced on 13 July 2026. It is not waiting for 1 July 2027. A record that treats it as future will describe the wrong approval process or the wrong edition at the next assessment.
What to do about it
Update the document register to the Sixth Edition 2026 and record the retrieval date. Gap-assess Standard 4 against the messaging you actually run. Collect conformance evidence from each messaging vendor, name the version tested, and record any FHIR roadmap. Check the My Health Record upload configuration and keep the logs. Do not describe the Sixth Edition as the Fifth Edition with a new cover; the messaging wording is the change.
What the assessor asks for
| Category | Artefact to have ready |
|---|---|
| Document register | The Schedule 1 register entry that names the Sixth Edition 2026, with the source address and the retrieval date |
| Messaging inventory | A list of every electronic messaging interface, the standard and version it uses, and the vendor |
| Conformance | The vendor conformance statement or test report for each interface, naming the version |
| My Health Record | The upload configuration and a log showing a successful upload |
| Gap assessment | The Standard 4 gap assessment with actions, owners and dates |
The question that follows. A reviewer may ask which edition of the standard the laboratory was assessed against and what evidence supports Standard 4, and a register that still says Fifth Edition 2022 fails the first question.
Gaps that lose a file
- Still citing the Fifth Edition 2022
- Assuming HL7 Version 2.4 is the only permitted standard
- No vendor conformance evidence
- No FHIR position
- No My Health Record upload log
Before the date
- Replace the edition in the register
- Inventory the interfaces
- Collect conformance evidence
- Record the FHIR position
- Test an upload
Dates
| Date | What happens | Source pointer |
|---|---|---|
| Item 9 commences | s 2 table item 2 | |
| No. 4 correction commences | F2026L00934, immediately after Part 1 |
Cross-references
The free-access note · The in-house IVD standard · Commencement
Source
Schedule 1 item 9, substituting table item 4 of Schedule 1 to the 2017 Principles. The operative text is F2026L00927 on the Federal Register, with the parent 2017 Principles and the Explanatory Statement. Our statement, not the instrument verbatim.
Not legal advice; does not certify. A reading of the provision and the evidence an assessor commonly samples, not a substitute for the instrument, the standards or your accreditation body's rules.