Ministers close in on mandatory reporting reform
But upcoming elections might be the fly in the ointment
2nd March 2018
After months of negotiation, health ministers have reached a provisional agreement to change mandatory reporting laws that force doctors to alert AHPRA when they treat impaired colleagues.
The medical profession has been pushing hard for a change to the laws, which were introduced in every state except WA in 2010.
They have been widely described as detrimental and even dangerous to doctors’ health because they discourage those in distress from seeking help.
Federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt, who announced the new agreement at a meeting on doctors’ health in Melbourne a fortnight