AMA submission on opportunities for reform of GP training employment arrangements

Here, the AMA reiterated outcomes from the AMA Single Employer Model for GPiTs Planning Day, where GP Stakeholders agreed that the National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrars (NTCER) has outlived its purpose as an employment tool, and that a new GPiT employment model should create:

• A fairer model for the employment of GPiTs in Australia that delivers pay and conditions comparable to non-GPiTs, which improve the standards of employment for GPiTs and promotes General Practice as an attractive vocational pathway for prevocational doctors.
• An employment model that allows GPiTs and supervisors to focus on the learning experience rather than being influenced by service delivery and business arrangements.

In the submission, the AMA continues to advocate for a single employer model for GPiTs, as this is the only model that can deliver GPiTs equitable remuneration and employment conditions compared to hospital-based trainees while meeting the needs of supervising practices. 

The AMA would like to see a single employer model in place for all GPiTs (not limited to rural generalists or geographical locations) for the duration of their training. Under this model, there must also be assurances that practices and supervisors are no worse off than current arrangements and are adequately remunerated for supervision and teaching time as they train the next generation of GPs.

Note that appendices referred to in the submission are not included as they are for internal use.