A Bill to better regulate health professionals was passed on Friday giving the powers to suspend or bar people for misconduct.

The Professions Supplementary to Medicine Amendment Bill 2006 will ensure practitioners are competent and stay up to date with the latest techniques while there will be more teeth for dealing with complaints.

Health Minister Nelson Bascome said there were few complaints but more might come through once the bill was passed.

He said: ?The primary purpose is to ensure they meet established standards of education, training and professional conduct.

?It brings the professionals into the 21 century and makes sure not only are they qualified but they are educated about new procedures that come along.?

Covering such professional categories such as physiotherapist, occupational therapist and diagnostic imaging the Bill establishes a Council for Allied Health Professionals to promote patient interests and exercise discipline over practitioners.

A Preliminary Proceedings Committee has been set up to investigate complaints ? serious complaints will then be referred to a Professional Conduct Committee which can hand out fines of up to $2,000, suspend a person?s registration for a year or even bar them from practising.