General Practice and the Medical Practitioners Award
The AMA has become aware that some general practices are being given incorrect advice from external consultants that the Medical Practitioners Award applies to GPs and registrars working in general practices.
This advice is causing unnecessary confusion about the rights and entitlements that are applicable.
The AMA was involved in the drafting of the above award, making both oral and written submissions to the former Australian Industrial Relations Commission in relation to its coverage.
The Commission accepted these submissions and reworked an initial exposure draft of the Award to limit its coverage to:
hospitals, hospices, benevolent homes, day procedure centres, aboriginal health services, community health centres, the Red Cross Blood Service, the South Australian Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, and the Victorian Cytology Service or the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
This essentially reflects the coverage of those former awards that it replaced and does not extend to private general practice.
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has confirmed this interpretation in recent communications with the AMA. In correspondence to the AMA, it states that:
the FWO advises that the Medical Practitioners Award 2010 does not apply to General Practitioners in private practice unless they are working in a day procedure centre.
Members with queries about the coverage of this and other awards are encouraged to contact their state AMA for advice and assistance.
