What is NRAS?

The NRAS is the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. It is a government initiative to register and accredit all medical bodies in Australia.

Visit the Health Workforce Australia site here to read the government perspective.

What is the ASA's position?

The ASA fully supports the principle of national registration, however, the Government has provided no justification for proposing, or evidence to support, the introduction of completely new arrangements for the accreditation of medical education and training in Australia. The proposed reform runs the serious risk of diminishing medical standards in Australia. Another major concern is the cost involved in the establishment and maintenance of the proposed system especially in light of the parlous condition of the State systems and the current economic climate.

Click here to read the ASA's senate submission.

Click here to read the Bill B Submission.

The ASA supports:

• National Registration
• On-going Professional Development
• The maintenance of high medical professional standards
• The independence of the medical profession

The ASA does not support:

• Undertrained, Underqualified and Non-Medical providers of medical services
• The control of training, education and certification by government
• Mandatory reporting without an independent investigatory body

How does it affect you?

If executed in its current form it is likely to result in:

Decline in standards: Registration will provide a direct legislative link to Medicare and pharmaceutical benefits for patients of all registered health professions. Intuitively this puts patient outcomes, public health initiatives and evidence based medicine as the secondary outcomes.

Devaluation of Australian qualifications: Medical education would no longer be independent of government, putting at risk the overseas recognition of our training and also the attraction of international students to seek medical education here. Further our medical education will no longer measure up to international standards as set down by the World Health Organization.

Task substitution: In certain circumstances the National Medical Board will be able to register a person who does not meet the standard requirements for registration simply to meet workforce or some other perceived requirement.

Lack of transparency and professional exclusion: There is insufficient accountability for Ministerial decisions and policy directions, particularly when those decisions are inconsistent with advice provided by the professional board or the independent accrediting body.

Denial of natural justice: The complaints process may deny the right to natural justice. The proposed legislation will allow “a single committee (to) carry out multiple statutory functions spanning the registration, investigation and disciplinary functions, either at the national or local levels”.

Increased costs to you: The national system will be effectively brought in over the top of existing systems – providing an extra layer rather than a replacement. This will add another cost impost that registrants will be paying.

What are the benefits?

National registration will create consistency across the States.

What are other medical bodies saying?

Visit the NRAS section of the AMA website by clicking here.

Read the AMA's submission to the Senate here.

Read the Council of Procedural Specialists submission to the Senate here.

Read other submissions to the Senate here.

Co-signed letter to Minister Paul Lucas.

What's being done?

Senate Submission lodged on your behalf

Lobbying and Letters sent on your behalf:

Dr Reg Cammack has sent letters to 76 Australian Senators lobbying them to closely examine the proposed scheme. 17% have replied.

What's next?

Read the Senate Terms of Reference here.

The latest release from the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council, dated 8 May 2009, is available for viewing here.

What can you do?

Write to government.

Contact the ASA; aterry@fed.asa.org.au

Complete this survey.