Australia’s peak GP group has again warned the country’s health ministers that they are rushing a fast-tracked pathway for overseas-trained doctors.
The Royal Australian College of GPs said health ministers and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency must take responsibility for anything that goes wrong with their push to introduce a faster way to get overseas-trained medical specialists into the workforce.
A review held last year by retired public servant Robyn Kruk urged the government to fast-track the accreditation process, and from next Monday October 21, Ahpra will assess the suitability of OTDs to practice in Australia.
The Medical Board announced the new pathway in late April, raising the concerns of the RACGP and other groups. Since 2005, suitability to practice in Australia has been assessed by the relevant specialist medical college.
But now doctors from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand will be able to apply for specialist registration with Ahpra without first being assessed by the RACGP.
The college said this week that it was opposed to simple paper-based assessments as a substitute for medical colleges’ evaluations of suitability that account for a doctor’s experience, context and training.
President Dr Nicole Higgins said discussions had failed to allay the concerns of the RACGP and other colleges.
“We’ve been clear about the problems with this rushed approach, including significant risks to patient safety and quality of care. The blame for anything that goes wrong must be on the decision makers behind it,” she said.
“Australia’s health ministers and Ahpra have pushed this through regardless of the major risks, unanswered questions, and lack of detail about how a GP’s suitability to practice will be assessed, just a week before it’s due to be implemented.”
Dr Higgins said college data showed one in five doctors needed extra education and professional support despite their qualifications being substantially comparable on paper to those of Australian GPs.
“GPs shouldn’t be thrown into situations they are not ready to manage without the support of a college,” she said.
“We’ve seen failure to diagnose hypertension, inappropriate prescribing of opioids and unsafe management of critical hyperglycaemia, and inappropriate management of pain in a cancer patient.”
“These are issues that appropriate supervision will pick up. We are not confident this expedited pathway will provide the same quality of care for patients and support for doctors.”
Health Minister Mark Butler insists the reforms will not compromise Australia’s robust safety standards. Doctors will still need to meet the same language and background criminal checks, and they will also undergo six months of supervision as they settle in.