AHPRA releases new rules for doctors with bloodborne viruses

Until 2018, doctors with HIV and Hep C were being told not to perform exposure-prone procedures

Doctors with HIV and other bloodborne viruses can perform exposure-prone procedures as long as they meet strict criteria to avoid putting patients at risk of infection, AHPRA says.

The regulator’s new rules, which come into effect on 6 July, say that treating doctors should report doctor-patients with bloodborne viruses who fail to show up to appointments or do not undergo viral load testing within a certain timeframe without adequate explanation.