Australia (Commonwealth Union)_As part of an effort to reduce red tape and address labor shortages, foreign-trained physicians and other medical professionals will now be allowed to apply to work in Australia more quickly. According to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, it has modified its registration procedure to eliminate the complexity associated with the transfer of credentials for these medical practitioners.
Martin Fletcher, the chief executive officer of the AHPRA, stated that the amendments will expedite the employment of trained healthcare professionals in Australian hospitals at a time of extraordinary demand. According to Mr Fletcher, “We know the process of registering to work in Australia can be particularly complex in some cases, but we have made significant improvements to the system and added additional staffing resources to smooth the transition and will continue to do more for those we are keen to welcome to our shores”.
Martin added that there are thousands of fully certified physicians, nurses, and midwives who can alleviate the pressure on Australia’s overburdened health systems and expedite the delivery of treatment to patients at a time of extreme demand. Moreover, AHPRA announced the launch of a new website to give better information to offshore applicants, enhance collaboration with employers, and increase the number of senior professionals examining applications.
This allowed AHPRA to better detect applications lacking crucial information, reducing the time required to obtain more information from four weeks to seven days. Documents required from foreign-trained physicians include verification of training and qualification, international criminal record checks, and English proficiency. The statement was made following the news that a British general practitioner’s registration to work in Australia took 13 months.
The authorization for Dr. Mark Wood to begin seeing patients in Dunsborough was obtained only after the media made queries to the Federal Health Department. Dr. Wood was a former vice president of the British Medical Association and a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners in London. AHPRA’s initiative to expedite registrations also received huge applause from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
