Doctors over the age of 70 will not be required to undergo mandatory health checks to continue practising after the regulator abandoned its plans to introduce the measure.
In a move labelled “commonsense” by the RACGP the Medical Board of Australia announced it would instead support older practitioners to continue working through ‘profession-led support’.
The Board had sought feedback last year on its plan to introduce mandatory health checks every three years for doctors aged over 70 and then every year from the age of 80 in a bid to reduce the number of notifications received about older practitioners.
It was widely criticised by the medical community including the RACGP and AMA.
The consultation came in response to a spike in patient complaints about older practitioners, with the rate of health-impairment related notifications for doctors aged over 70 more than three times higher than younger colleagues at the time.
New analysis from Ahpra shows regulatory action is taken about late career doctors at 1.6 times the rate it is taken about doctors aged under 70, with communication, clinical care and medication concerns topping the list.
However, after collating responses to the consultation, the Board found no evidence that health checks would definitively reduce notifications.
Feedback showed general acceptance there was increased risk to patients from unsafe practice and unmanaged health issues among late career doctors, but disquiet about mandated health checks. Under the Code registered medical practitioners are already encouraged to have a GP and take care of their health.
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Board chair Dr Susan O’Dwyer said there were still clear issues in the practise of some doctors aged over 70 that health checks alone won’t address.
“We heard the concerns of some stakeholders and want to work together to find a proportionate solution to a nuanced and sensitive problem,” Dr O’Dwyer said.
“We are keen to collaborate with the profession on supporting this group of doctors to keep their practise safe and their knowledge and skills up to date.”
The RACGP, which had argued that the focus should be on supporting doctors’ wellbeing rather than adding to the regulatory environment, welcomed the news.
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President Dr Michael Wright said: “Mandatory health checks don’t reduce patient harms or notifications. Instead, they risk increasing administrative burdens for GPs and worsening workforce shortages.
“Having worked with GPs in their 70s and 80s, including my father, I know the invaluable care our highly experienced senior GPs can offer.
“The most important message here is that no matter your age, everyone should have a regular GP, and that includes doctors themselves. What we need to do is reduce barriers that prevent clinicians from seeking this care and continue growing the GP workforce.”
AMA National President Dr Danielle McMullen said every doctor should have regular check-ups with a GP, but not as a regulatory requirement.
“Doctors who continue to practise beyond the age of 70, in most circumstances, do so with sound skill and judgment, adapting their scope of practice, workload, and procedures to mitigate risks and ensure patient safety,” she said.
“It is crucial to recognise their autonomy and the value of their extensive experience, while also safeguarding patient wellbeing.”
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