Page 367 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 February 1993
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MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS REGISTRATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1993
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (4.20): Madam Speaker, I present the Medical Practitioners Registration (Amendment) Bill 1993.
Title read by Clerk.
MR BERRY: I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Madam Speaker, for a number of years Australian Health Ministers have been examining the desirability of adopting consistent standards in relation to the regulation of health occupations. In March 1992 I agreed with other Health Ministers to revise the various registration laws to ensure a uniform approach to the regulation of health occupations across all States and Territories in the interests of public health and safety.
The Health Ministers' exercise is consistent with the mutual recognition principles endorsed by heads of government in the Special Premiers Conference context which led to the signing of the intergovernmental agreement on mutual recognition. Madam Speaker, the mutual recognition arrangements which are scheduled to come into effect on 1 March 1993 will involve mutual recognition of occupational registration arrangements across participating jurisdictions, regardless of any difference in standards or requirements. Mutual recognition does not, however, preclude uniform standards where these are perceived to be necessary.
The agreement reached by Health Ministers will mean that mobility of health occupations will be subject to uniform educational and training standards as well as disciplinary provisions across all jurisdictions. The Medical Practitioners Registration (Amendment) Bill 1993 is the first of a number of ACT health professionals registration laws to be amended in line with the Health Ministers' agreement for uniformity. Madam Speaker, the Bill provides for nationally agreed uniform standards and arrangements for regulating medical practitioners and uniform disciplinary sanctions.
I refer now to the proposed uniform qualifications for registration. To be eligible for general registration medical practitioners must be graduates of a medical school accredited by the Australian Medical Council. All medical schools in Australia and New Zealand are accredited by the Australian Medical Council. Graduates of other overseas medical schools, including those from the United Kingdom and Ireland, will be required to pass the Australian Medical Council's examination before being granted registration without conditions. Overseas qualified medical practitioners may, at the discretion of the Medical Board, be granted conditional registration whilst they undertake training to prepare to sit for the Australian Medical Council examination.
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