AMA welcomes Medical Board decision to waive late fees for National Registration
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the AMA welcomes the positive response from the Medical Board of Australia to the AMA’s formal request to waive late fees for doctors registering with the Board under the new national registration arrangements.
Dr Pesce said that, in a letter to the Board on 15 September, the AMA made strong representations about the level of fees for national registration, with particular concern about the high fees for late renewals.
“Harsh financial penalties are not the way to bed down a new system,” Dr Pesce said.
“It is important that the Board does everything possible to help doctors get used to the new registration arrangements. There have been teething problems with the new system, and the high late fees have been the last straw for many doctors.
“It is inevitable that there will be some late registrations by some doctors this year, but they should not be penalised, especially when the transition to the Board’s administrative processes has contributed significantly to the many problems being experienced by doctors in renewing their medical registration.
“The consequences of doctors not being registered are considerable – for the doctor and the health system.”
Dr Pesce said the AMA is urging doctors to renew their registration as soon as possible.
“If doctors miss the registration deadline, they could be ‘struck off’ under National Law and be unable to practise medicine.
“If this happens, doctors would have to make a new application for registration and meet all the requirements under the National Law, including proof of identity and qualifications, and criminal history checks.”
The easiest way to renew is online, and doctors can check when their renewal is due by clicking on the Medical Register at www.medicalboard.gov.au
Renewal notices have been sent to doctors in Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, the Northern Territory, and South Australia. The process for Queensland doctors is now complete. Registration in NSW is linked to the doctors’ birth dates and the process is progressing accordingly.
Dr Pesce said the AMA would continue discussions with the Medical Board about the overall high level of registration fees under the new system as compared to the previous State-based medical registration arrangements.
28 September 2010
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