The Government is cutting red tape to make it easier to recruit doctors from overseas – a major step forward to ease skills shortages.
The changes will remove unnecessary regulatory barriers by ending the ‘Visas for GPs’ program and reducing the time and complexity for International Medical Graduates seeking an employer sponsored visa, in line with key recommendations of the interim report from the Kruk Review.
From 16 September, International Medical Graduates looking to work in Australian primary care settings will no longer need to submit a Health Workforce Certificate (HWC) or Health Workforce Exemption Certificate (HWEC) from an employer as part of their Employer Sponsored visa application, removing unnecessary duplication of paperwork.
Applications for a HWC ceased on 5 September, while applications for HWEC were accepted until 13 September and any applications received prior to these dates will be processed in line with the existing program guidelines.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mr Mark Butler, said the independent review of regulatory settings for overseas trained health professionals consulted widely with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure the recommendations “were practical and can deliver the health workforce Australia needs to ensure high-quality, safe and timely health services.”
“The Albanese Government is determined to do everything we can so that when doctors and nurses come in from overseas, they go straight on to the hospital floor, or aged care facility, or general practice to deliver health care,” he said.
“We need to be very clear with patients and with the medical profession that we will not compromise on our strong standards that we have here in Australia but there are things we can do to reduce red tape.
“To attract international health professionals in a highly competitive global market, regulatory settings need to be fit for purpose, competitive, and not impose unnecessary barriers, while preserving patient safety standards and quality of care.”
Visa applications in relation to healthcare occupations including GPs are still the highest priority amongst the Government’s processing directions, with assessment times down from approximately 30 days to 1 to 2 days for decision-ready applications,” Minister Giles added.
The Australian Government appointed Ms Robyn Kruk AO to lead an independent review of the regulatory settings and qualification recognitions relating to overseas-trained health professionals and international students who have studied in Australia.
The interim findings of the Kruk review were released back in April, and at the time, Ahpra CEO Martin Fletcher noted that they clearly endorsed measures put forward by Ahpra to cut the red tape and costs faced by qualified internationally trained practitioners wanting to work in Australia’s health system.
“The severe shortage of healthcare professionals across Australia’s health systems is a real and significant risk to patient safety,” Ahpra CEO Martin Fletcher said.
“While a system-wide overhaul is needed to better align the qualifications recognised by Australian medical colleges and cut duplication of processes across authorities… Patient safety will always be the paramount priority in registering any practitioner.
“By eliminating needless duplication, easing bureaucratic delays and better recognising the experience of overseas health professionals we can attract the best and most suited to Australia, sooner.”
The Kruk Review heard that Australia’s end-to-end process for regulating overseas health practitioners is complex, slow, and costly.
“From the applicant’s perspective, assessments and processes can often be unclear, lack transparency and result in inconsistent outcomes… Regulatory responsibilities are highly fragmented, with roles spread across multiple parties and legislation with little coordination” the interim report noted.
“Only applicants with qualifications from a small number of countries and professions are eligible for the streamlined pathways and the requirements are particularly inflexible for experienced health practitioners that specialise over their career.
“Some employers no longer consider applicants from countries without expedited registration pathways as the process is too hard and outcomes uncertain. Australia is often no longer the country of choice for the health workers we want and need.”
Ahpra and the National Boards launched public consultation on two of the Kruk review interim report’s recommendations on 17 August – 13 September this year:
- expanding the range of countries recognised in English language skills registration standards (where there is evidence that citizens educated in these countries have the English language skills needed for practice in Australia), and
- changing one element of the English test results accepted by the National Boards that regulate registered health practitioners.
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said at the time that she hoped the changes would create an easier pathway for international doctors to work in Australia.
“The RACGP has been advocating to make it easier and more attractive for IMGs to come to Australia, to get more GPs into communities that need them, but we also know that, as a medical college which assesses and accredits IMGs to practice in Australia, we can help to make their journey easier.”
Other measures being considered include:
- simplifying and amending comparability assessments
- reducing the training and skills comparability scores required
- simplifying and amending comparability assessments
- widening the type of training considered applicable
- removing the multi-source feedback requirement
- removing the requirement for a reflective essay
- reducing the minimum time on the Specialist Pathway from six to three months.