ACRRM has lodged a Submission this week, calling on Health Ministers to reconsider their agreement to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Surgeons) Amendment Bill 2023, which if enacted as proposed, will restrict the use of the title “surgeon” to medical practitioners holding specialist registration in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, and ophthalmology. 

The College is concerned that proposed amendments to legislation will result in Rural Generalists holding ASTs in Surgery and /or Obstetrics and Gynaecology being disenfranchised, and the communities they serve will be disadvantaged by having to travel to major centres to access surgical procedures within the remit of local RGs.  

The Bill, which was introduced into the Queensland Parliament on 20 April 2023, is the final stage in a period of protracted consultation around establishing protected title of the designation “surgeon” under the National Law. At each stage of the consultation process, ACRRM has argued vigorously against protecting the designation for rural procedural general practitioners; has categorically stated that it does not support moves to legislate; and highlighted the perverse consequences likely to arise from such action. 

The Health Practitioner National Law is not a Commonwealth law. Instead, it is enacted and implemented by each state and territory using an “adoption of laws” model. Queensland is the lead jurisdiction for implementing the National Law, which means that if enacted, these changes will automatically apply in all other parliaments which are part of the National Scheme i.e., Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, ACT, Northern Territory and Tasmania. Western Australia will require to pass legislation to amend its Health Practitioner Regulation National Law WA Act 2010, and South Australia will require to enact a regulation to modify the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law SA 2010.