The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has added its voice to growing calls for a pause on proposed fast-tracking of overseas-trained doctors saying the plan is risky and won’t increase workforce supply where it’s needed most.
The College says there is a real need to grow the surgical workforce in rural and regional parts of Australia particularly but says the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s (AHPRA) plan lacks the nuance to fix the issue in a safe and effective way.
RACS has joined other Australian medical colleges in writing to the Federal Health Minister on Friday 11 October asking for a rethink of the proposal.
RACS President Associate Professor Kerin Fielding says the College has long been advocating for targeted reforms to address healthcare shortages but says these need to be done in a way that prioritise areas most in need, including rural locations, and uphold patient safety. The College’s concerns particularly centre on the proposal to reduce supervision time for Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) and their lack of targeted measures to retain a rural/regional workforce.
“The proposals in their current form present significant risks to patients and may result in a lack of consistency of surgical standards across Australia. The lack of clear supervision requirements and inadequate support systems for SIMGs, especially in rural areas, could compromise standards of care.
“We need to ensure that SIMGs entering Australia are properly trained, supported, and retained in the areas where they are most needed. This is about ensuring every Australian, no matter where they live, has access to safe, high-quality surgical care,” Associate Professor Fielding says.
RACS has raised the following key concerns with AHPRA’s proposed pathways:
- Inadequate supervision – The shortened six-month supervision period proposed by AHPRA may not be sufficient to identify performance issues or ensure that SIMGs are adequately prepared to practice safely in Australia’s healthcare system, especially for procedural specialties like surgery.
- Lack of rural support – SIMGs placed in isolated rural areas may lack the necessary supervision and support, potentially lowering the standard of care for patients in those regions.
- Undermining surgical standards – The expedited pathways risk creating a two-tier surgical workforce, undermining the rigorous training and accreditation processes currently in place.
- Retention and distribution concerns – The proposal lacks targeted measures to ensure SIMGs remain in rural and regional areas, which could result in ongoing workforce shortages in underserved regions.
RACS is advocating for a more strategic and transparent approach, calling on AHPRA to:
- Pause the implementation of the expedited pathways until further consultation and review can occur.
- Introduce specific measures to recruit and retain surgeons in areas of critical need, both geographically and by specialty.
- Ensure transparency around qualification criteria, supervision models, and assessment processes.
RACS remains committed to working collaboratively with AHPRA, the Medical Board of Australia, and other stakeholders to develop a solution that addresses workforce shortages while upholding the high standards of surgical practice and training in Australia.
About the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
RACS is the leading advocate for surgical standards, professionalism and surgical education in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The College is a not-for-profit organisation that represents more than 8000 surgeons and 1300 surgical trainees and Specialist International Medical Graduates. RACS also supports healthcare and surgical education in the Asia-Pacific region and is a substantial funder of surgical research. There are nine surgical specialties in Australasia being: Cardiothoracic Surgery, General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Urology and Vascular Surgery. http://www.surgeons.org