COAG agrees to pursue a national approach to reform mandatory reporting
After concerted pressure from the AMA across the country to repeal mandatory reporting legislation, Ministers at the COAG Health Council meeting last Friday agreed to pursue a national approach to supporting the mental health of health professionals including progressing reform of mandatory reporting.
The AMA has advocated long and hard at both the Federal and State level for changes to mandatory reporting provisions that reflect the WA model of mandatory reporting provisions for doctors seeking treatment for mental health and stress-related conditions.
The AMA has identified that mandatory reporting is a major barrier to doctors accessing the care they need. It is an issue that the AMA and the whole medical profession feel passionately about. It affects every doctor, their families, their loved ones, and their colleagues.
“We need to keep pressure on Health Ministers to make sure they get the model right ”, said Dr John Zorbas, Chair, AMA Council of Doctors in Training. “We will continue to advocate for reforms that support health practitioners who seek treatment for health conditions, while at the same time protecting patients.”
