Will GPs really want to do mandatory health checks on their fellow doctors? AusDoc asks the medical board chair
There are around 7000 late career doctors currently practising in Australia.
Consultation has begun on mandatory health assessments for all doctors aged 70 and over.
The assessments would take place every three years until the doctor is 80 at which point they would become an annual requirement for registration.
One option outlined in the board’s consultation paper, the board’s preferred choice, is a general health check with their GP, a check that would include cognitive screening.
The alternative is a more detailed fitness to practise assessment by a specialist occupational physician, which could cost the doctor up to $6000.
