AMA meets with Ahpra and Medical Board

The AMA reiterated the position in the recent submission on the new expedited SIMG pathway.

While the AMA supports streamlining pathways for specialist international medical graduates (IMGs), there has been too great an emphasis on speeding up entry processes and too little emphasis on providing the necessary supports for IMGs to work in a supported environment.

All in attendance agreed that the growth of vertically integrated direct to consumer business is an issue for the community and the profession. The AMA was pleased to hear the proactive efforts on this issue from Ahpra which aligns with work from the TGA and other regulators.

The AMA advised that some of the newer models, particularly those offering medicinal cannabis, pose a serious reputational risk to the profession in addition to the potential harms to the community. 

The AMA received an update on the Medical Board’s review of the non-practising registration category and fee relief for registrants on parental leave. The AMA is calling for a greater understanding on the breadth of this review, particularly regarding reforms taking place around parental leave relief and for practitioners transitioning into retirement. 

Ahpra also provided some positive statistics on improvements to managing notifications. Ahpra reported that changes to the handling of notifications have led to more notifications being closed than were opened last year, and a significant increase in the percentage of notifications closed within six months.

Despite the positive changes, the AMA will continue to advocate for further improvements and amendments to the National Law to ensure that practitioners are appropriately managed through the notifications process and no undue stress is caused.