The Medical Board of Australia is being accused of unprofessional conduct over its alleged silence on the fast-track specialist pathway for IMGs.

The claims have been made by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) which says it is still in the dark over the qualifications and experience of the doctors tasked with supervising the anaesthetists brought into the country on the new pathway.

Launched last year at the behest of state and federal health ministers, for the first time the changes mean that doctors can be registered as specialists without any assessment by the medical colleges.

“It is ironic that the medical board who often reprimand doctors in disciplinary hearings for poor communication are themselves so poor at communicating with the broader profession in areas of concern for both patient safety and workforce wellbeing,” ANZCA’s president Professor David Story said.