COAG Must Adopt Abbott Plan for National Registration of Health Professionals

In a speech to a health conference in Melbourne, Mr Abbott will propose separate national boards for each of the health professions - doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists, psychologists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, and osteopaths.

Mr Abbott's plan is outlined in The Age newspaper today.

Dr Haikerwal said the plan outlined by Mr Abbott was along the same lines as the scheme put to COAG by the AMA, which has the support of the majority of the health professions.

"We are pleased that Mr Abbott shares our concerns that a single multi-profession registration scheme could be used for purposes other than determining professional competence, such as interchanging the functions of different health professionals," Dr Haikerwal said.

"A single national registration body would work against the provision of quality health services for patients.

"The current COAG plan is a recipe for lower standards.

"We need consistency and clarity in medical registration to allow portability for doctors to provide services where they are most needed, and this is what the Health Minister is proposing today.

"The Abbott plan, like the AMA plan, puts patients first."

Dr Haikerwal said the AMA would work closely with the Health Minister in convincing COAG and the States to change tack on national registration of health professionals.

The COAG Health Working Group meets next week, ahead of the COAG meeting in April when the issue of national registration will be finalised.

The Federal and State/Territory AMAs will continue lobbying all governments to adopt a system that will provide all Australians with access to the best possible medical care.