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Health Professions Registrations Bill is a mess – needs more work
Peak medical bodies from across Victoria have joined together united in their concerns regarding key aspects of the Health Professions Registration Bill 2005.
Presidents of the Australian Medical Association (Victoria) Limited, Australian Dental Association (Victoria), Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Victorian Branch, and the Australian Physiotherapy Association have expressed their concern to the Minister today in a joint letter outlining their major concerns.
AMA Victoria President Dr Mark Yates said that Victoria could be headed for “Bundaberg disaster” under the proposed changes to the Medical Registrations Act.
Dr Yates said that while there were many aspects of the Bill that are of concern to each of the associations and their members, there is a very strong shared concern in regard to Section 5 and in particular, 119 which basically transfers very significant and unprecedented powers over professional training and standards to the responsible Minister.
“The sections appear to enable the Minister to override the Registration Boards and national training accreditation authorities on courses of study, periods of supervised practice codes and guidelines on professional practice.
“Inappropriate use of Ministerial powers could have a detrimental impact on professional standards and the quality of health care available to the Victorian community, Dr Yates said.
Dr Yates and respective Presidents of the associations have agreed that there are many provisions within the Bill that require a great deal more attention and justification, particularly where they are drafted so as to deny procedural fairness for practitioners.
“AMA Victoria has put in considerable effort to ensure the profession is not unfairly treated in this latest effort at addressing perceived consumer concerns,” Dr Yates said.
Dr Yates said that substantive engagement with doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dentists and other professions was severely lacking and the new Bill would be a legal nightmare that would ultimately result in compromising the health care available to Victorians.
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