Here’s an update on a few of the issues AMA Victoria is working on for members, including:
Inquiry into claims made through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC)
SCV consultation: credentialing and scope of practice
PSA Code of Ethics consultation
WorkSafe Victoria updates: prescribing, mental injury guidance, psychosocial recovery, billing.
Inquiry into claims made through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC)
AMA Victoria has provided a submission to the Legislative Council inquiry into claims made through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).
Our submission is grounded in a simple proposition. A transport accident compensation scheme only works if injured people can access timely, clinically appropriate care, and if medical practitioners are willing and able to provide that care within the scheme. When participation becomes harder, access tightens and outcomes suffer.
Members report delays in approvals, repeated information requests, increasing reliance on medico-legal processes, payment and remittance issues, and uncertainty around funding, billing and fee settings. Together, these are affecting clinician participation and the ability to provide and maintain best quality care.
In our submission, we raised the following key issues:
approvals and disputes processes that delay clinically indicated treatment and extend timeframes
expansion and delay in independent medical examinations and related medico-legal processes
payment uncertainty, delayed remittances and administrative burden affecting participation
fraud and billing integrity measures being applied to routine, legitimate claims
fee settings and billing rules that do not reflect the time, complexity and responsibility involved in care
gaps and delay at scheme interfaces, including with the NDIS
uncertainty around the transition to bundled funding in public hospitals from July 2026
The submission calls for clearer, time-bound decision making, proportionate information requests, appropriate use of medico-legal processes, transparent and reliable payment arrangements, and better coordination across schemes.
For us, the central issue is whether the scheme supports timely access to appropriate care while remaining workable for clinicians.
A scheme that is timely, predictable and clinically aligned will support both patient recovery and continued participation by the medical profession, enabling the provision and maintenance of best quality care. Without these settings, the scheme risks functioning as a barrier rather than a support.
SCV consultation: credentialing and scope of practice
AMA Victoria has provided feedback to Safer Care Victoria as part of its ongoing updates to credentialing and scope of practice arrangements.
The draft introduces additional governance elements, including committee structures, referee checks and ongoing performance monitoring. In our feedback to SCV, we focused on how these changes would operate in practice.
We noted the risk of additional process without a clear reduction in low-value steps, and the need for clearer identification of what can be streamlined or removed. We also raised the balance between reliance on Ahpra and local verification, noting recent cases where issues were not identified early. More broadly, we emphasised that increased structure should support earlier identification of risk, rather than simply adding layers, with timeliness a key consideration given the risk of delay in appointments and scope changes.
We also highlighted ongoing duplication across services, particularly for practitioners working across multiple sites, and the need for the model to be workable in smaller and regional settings. Referee checks were noted as a useful element, but dependent on how referees are selected and whether they can provide candid, independent input. Similarly, while the sole practitioner approach introduces oversight, it remains unclear how independent peer review would operate in practice.
In our feedback, we supported ongoing monitoring, but emphasised that it should draw on existing clinical governance and performance processes rather than create additional reporting layers. We also noted that while de-credentialing and appeals are clearly set out, there may be overlap with existing pathways that could be streamlined.
For us, the central issue is ensuring the framework identifies risk early without making it harder for safe practitioners to work where they are needed, which has been communicated clearly to SCV.
PSA Code of Ethics consultation
We are seeking member input on the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) public consultation on the revised Code of Ethics for Pharmacists (2026).
The Code sets the ethical framework for pharmacists across all areas of practice and underpins expected standards of conduct towards patients, the community and the health system.
On review, the draft is generally fit for purpose. The structure, based on care, integrity, competency and collaboration, is sound.
Our concerns centre on the treatment of prescribing.
The draft embeds prescribing within pharmacist practice, including references to prescribing decisions and obligations. This is premature. National endorsement for pharmacist prescribing has not been settled, and current activity remains at pilot or trial stage across jurisdictions.
Where prescribing is referenced, it is framed without diagnosis. This is a material omission. Safe prescribing depends on a process of clinical assessment and differential diagnosis. The draft Code does not reflect this.
Furthermore, conflicts of interest are addressed at a high level. There is no clear treatment of the specific risks that arise where prescribing and dispensing sit within the same commercial setting. For us, this gap is significant.
The collaboration principles are welcome, but do not adequately deal with prescribing. Any such model should be explicit about team-based care with appropriate clinical leadership. Best practice would see this led by a medical practitioner.
We are seeking member views on these issues, and any others present in the draft Code.
Please provide comments to Lewis Horton at LewisH@amavic.com.au by COB Monday 20 April.
WorkSafe Victoria updates: prescribing, mental injury guidance, psychosocial recovery and billing
Members may wish to note the following recent WorkSafe Victoria updates relevant to medical practitioners.
One covers PBS and private prescribing, updated household help and equipment and related services guidelines, and access to the Mental Injury Diagnosis Guide.
The second includes updates on psychosocial barriers to recovery, correct use of provider numbers, and other scheme guidance relevant to clinical practice and billing.