Mandatory health checks for older doctors — will the board’s plan reduce patient harm?
Last year, 6980 practising doctors were aged 70 or over.
The Medical Board of Australia’s consultation paper on its plan for mandatory health checks for older doctors runs to 92 pages.
It is heavy with references as you would expect — much of these, research documenting the increased risks of facing complaints as doctors age.
The big statistic is this: late career doctors (those aged 70 plus) are 81% more likely to be the subject of a complaint than their younger colleagues.
Although the board says retaining the status quo is an option to be debated, its language suggests this is not going to happen.
