Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Health and Ageing, I present the committee's report entitled Lost in the labyrinth: report on the inquiry into registration processes and support for overseas trained doctors, together with the minutes of proceedings.

Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Together with a high standard of living, our country presents an attractive option for foreign trained doctors and their families. In coming to Australia many international medical graduates, IMGs, begin by working in a regional, rural or remote area. In most of the regions and rural areas the committee travelled to many IMGs made up the medical workforce. Undoubtedly, IMGs contribute significantly to meeting the healthcare needs of these communities. In doing so, they often become integral to the communities they serve.

The committee's inquiry sought to examine Australia's system of medical practitioner accreditation and registration. The system was overhauled in 2010 following the formation of the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency. AHPRA's role is to oversee 10 national health boards. It is one of these boards, the Medical Board of Australia, that is responsible for the new national scheme of medical accreditation and registration. The national scheme was intended to streamline former state and territory processes. Managing the transition from state and territory based processes to a national process has been a significant undertaking.

During the inquiry, IMGs and others told the committee about their experiences with the national scheme. There is no doubt that the transition to the national scheme has resulted in confusion and frustration. A perceived lack of clarity and transparency has left some IMGs feeling significantly disadvantaged or, worse still, deliberately discriminated against.

In formulating the report's 45 recommendations, the committee understands the need to ensure that Australia's high clinical standards continue to be applied without compromise. We started the inquiry with the most important objective, namely, that Australia has very high standards and we wanted those standards to remain high without compromising them at all with the recommendations being tabled here today.

To address the concerns raised, many of the report's recommendations call for improvements to the national scheme's transparency, efficiency and communication. The committee's inquiry canvassed a range of issues that cause concern for IMGs. One of these, the MBA's English Language Standard, was the subject of much comment. Under the standard, IMGs applying for registration must meet a prescribed standard of English language proficiency. A number of IMGs explained that they now had difficulty in meeting the English Language Standard, which has become more stringent under the national scheme. The committee, while not lowering current standards, has recommended that the English Language Standard be reviewed to ensure it is appropriate. The committee also recommended that IMGs who do not pass are given detailed written feedback so that they know the reasons they did not pass a particular part of an exam and so that they know which areas they need to concentrate on.

Another issue discussed at length is the so-called 10-year moratorium. This policy requires IMGs to work for up to 10 years in a designated district of workforce shortage to qualify for a Medicare provider number. As Australia's reliance on IMGs is predicted to decrease in coming years, different strategies will be needed to encourage Australian trained doctors to work in areas of workforce shortage. In view of this the committee concluded that a review of the 10-year moratorium would be appropriate and timely.

The committee also considered the importance of professional and personal supports for IMGs and their families. Access to these types of support is crucial to the recruitment and retention of IMGs. The committee's recommendations seek to enhance and strengthen existing support systems. These include pre- and post-arrival orientation, access to professional development opportunities, and access to peer support networks for IMGs.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all of those who contributed to the inquiry by providing written submissions or by appearing before the committee at one of the many public hearings. In particular, I would like to thank the many IMGs who shared their experiences and provided many insights. I also thank my committee colleagues for their participation and contribution to the inquiry. I also thank the secretariat, Alison Clegg, Muzammil Ali, Belynda Zolotto and the other members of the secretariat, and my staff member Hannah Frank, who worked on this inquiry.

In accordance with standing order 39(f) the report was made a parliamentary paper.

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Ageing it is my pleasure to present, along with the committee chairman, the member for Hindmarsh, the results of the many months of hard work the committee has undertaken.

As the committee chairman said in his speech, Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Together with a high standard of living, our country presents an attractive option for foreign trained doctors and their families. In coming to Australia many international medical graduates, IMGs, begin by working in a regional, rural or remote area. Undoubtedly, IMGs contribute significantly to meeting the healthcare needs of these communities. In doing so, they often become integral to the communities they serve.

At the heart of this inquiry is the shortage of doctors in Australia and the processes that inhibit the ability of Australia to recruit overseas trained doctors. At a local level we have been doing all we can to address this shortage through the campaign for a new medical school at Curtin University, Bentley, in my electorate of Swan. However, due to this shortage there has been a growing demand for overseas trained doctors across Australia and particularly in rural communities to fill medical shortages. Australia has developed a reliance on overseas trained and qualified medical practitioners to fill shortages in supply in recent years. Today an estimated 39 per cent of registered medical practitioners in Australia are international medical graduates. While many overseas trained doctors have been welcomed by communities in need there have been process related problems. This is what this inquiry and its 45 recommendations seek to address. I note the article in today's Australian suggesting the inquiry is about fast-tracking overseas doctors and I would say that fast-tracking doctors from overseas was not the intention of this inquiry. It is about improving process. The high representation of overseas trained doctors in our medical system makes it important the government ensures that proper registration and support processes are in place. The report tabled this morning focuses on the importance of these processes. The challenge is to establish a system which enables suitably qualified and experienced medical practitioners to work in Australia, while also protecting the health and wellbeing of the Australian public. The work of this committee has been to recommend improvements to this process and to make sure overseas trained doctors meet the professional standards needed to practise medicine in Australia.

Health workforce planning is crucial if governments are to implement workforce policies which ensure that the supply and distribution of medical practitioners is appropriate to meet community healthcare needs. The report tabled in the House today provides 45 recommendations that: explore ways overseas trained doctors can better understand colleges' assessment processes and appeal mechanisms; explore ways to improve community understanding of this process; provide suggestions to improve support programs available through the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, professional organisations and colleges; and suggest ways to remove impediments and provide pathways for overseas trained doctors to achieve full Australian qualification, particularly in regional areas, without lowering standards.

The tabled report is 291 pages. We received over 200 submissions. Of the 216 submissions, 109 were from IMGs, 91 from organisations with involvement in accreditation, registration or recruitment of IMGs, and the remaining 16 were from other interested parties, including academics, co-workers, community members and patients. The committee also conducted an extensive program of public hearings, visiting in every state and territory in Australia and hearing evidence directly from 145 witnesses during 22 public hearings in 12 different cities.

Along with my chairman, I would like to thank the people from the committee and particularly the secretariat, who supported the inquiry all through this process. I would like to particularly thank the opposition whip, the member for Leichardt, for his contributions and his energy in getting this inquiry underway. I would also like to thank, along with the committee chairman, all the people who came and gave evidence at the committee hearings, and particularly those who presented their thoughts in private and in public on the processes in this area that needed to be fixed. In closing, I again thank the secretariat, who did an enormous job in compiling this report and putting it together.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the member for Hindmarsh wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a future occasion?

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House take note of the report.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 39(d), the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting and the member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.