Australia
Australian Regulators Introduce New System for Criminal Background Checks
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Australian Medical Board (AMB) have introduced a new process for checking the international criminal history of medical licensees in Australia.
According to the AMB, the new system “aims to strike a balance between public safety and regulatory burden for practitioners,” aligning international criminal history checks with domestic history background-checks in a new way.
Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law in Australia, AMB must consider the criminal history of all applicants for registration, including any overseas criminal history. The new system requires certain applicants and practitioners to apply for an international criminal history check from an AHPRA-approved supplier.
ACCORDING TO THE AMB, THE NEW SYSTEM ‘AIMS TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY AND REGULATORY BURDEN FOR PRACTITIONERS,’ ALIGNING INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS WITH DOMESTIC HISTORY BACKGROUND-CHECKS IN A NEW WAY.
Background checks will be required for all new applicants who declare a criminal history outside Australia and/or have lived or been primarily based in one or more countries other than Australia for six consecutive months or more since the age of 18.
Health providers who are currently registered with AMB will require a background check if they:
Are seeking to renew their registration or applying for a change in registration type, and there has been a change to their criminal history in one or more countries other than Australia since their last declaration to AHPRA at any time of the year.
Inform national regulators that they have been charged with an offense outside Australia that is punishable by a sentence of 12 months' imprisonment or more, or convicted of, have pleaded guilty to or are the subject of a finding of guilt by a court for an offense, outside Australia, that is punishable by imprisonment.
Existing requirements for checking domestic criminal history will continue, in addition to this new policy.
Source: Medical Board of Australia Update, February 2015
Australian Board and AHPRA Strengthen National Drug Screening
Mandatory hair testing will be routine for all licensed health practitioners in Australia with substance-related impairment, under a new screening protocol to be introduced by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Australian Medical Board (AMB).
Under the protocol, all health practitioners who have restrictions on their licensing status linked to past substance abuse will have routine hair testing in addition to urine testing.
According to AMB the new system of routine hair testing will help provide comprehensive information about use of a wide range of drugs over time, rather than simply focusing on the practitioner's known drug-taking history.
UNDER THE PROTOCOL, ALL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS WHO HAVE RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR LICENSING STATUS LINKED TO PAST SUBSTANCE ABUSE WILL HAVE ROUTINE HAIR TESTING IN ADDITION TO URINE TESTING.
Regulators in Australia will continue to make decisions about individual practitioners with impairment on a case by case basis, according to AMB, using the testing standards set out in the new protocol.
AHPRA has established an expert panel to provide ongoing advice on the biological assessment, testing and monitoring of applicants and registrants with drug and/or alcohol misuse, including impairment, according to AMB.
The drug screening protocol is part of a wider, national strategy to effectively manage compliance and monitoring of licensees in Australia. The new strategy has been progressively implemented since July 2014.
For more information, visit www.medicalboard.gov.au.
Source: Medical Board of Australia Update, February 2015
United Kingdom
Nearly One in Ten Doctors in Training Experience Bullying in the UK, According to GMC Survey
In its annual survey of the 50,000 physicians in training in the United Kingdom (UK), the General Medical Council (GMC) recently found that nearly one in ten reported they had been bullied, while nearly one in seven said they had witnessed bullying in the workplace.
In analyzing results of the survey, the GMC said that improvements are needed in the UK's system of complaint-reporting in medical education to ensure those who are bullied during training are not reluctant to issue a complaint.
Only one percent of respondents used the survey to raise a specific concern or report the details of an incident of bullying, according to the GMC, suggesting that there may be reluctance to speak out either because those bullied fear reprisal, or because they did not believe anything would be done.
According to the GMC, one physician in training who responded to the survey said: “If you get on the wrong side of a consultant it may have a big impact on your future career. I've experienced this myself and it definitely makes me think twice about reporting instances of bullying, either locally or to the GMC.”
“Apart from the damage bullying can do to individual self-confidence, it is likely to make these doctors much more reluctant to raise concerns, which ultimately can put patient safety at risk,” said Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the GMC. “They need to feel able to raise the alarm and know that they will be listened to and action taken.”
In a GMC website story about the survey, the GMC said: “We are working with those responsible for postgraduate education at local level to respond to this feedback from doctors in training. We need to develop a supportive culture that actively encourages doctors in training to feel confident in raising concerns at an earlier stage.”
The GMC reported that it is reaching out to obstetrics and gynecology and surgical departments across the UK in an effort to gather more information about bullying in medical education and that it plans to report its findings sometime in the next year.
IN ANALYZING RESULTS OF THE SURVE Y, THE GMC SAID THAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED IN THE UK'S SYSTEM OF COMPLAINT-REPORTING IN MEDIC AL EDUC ATION TO ENSURE THOSE WHO ARE BULLIED DURING TRAINING ARE NOT RELUCTANT TO ISSUE A COMPLAINT.
The GMC also announced the organization of a conference to explore the theme of “creating a culture of openness, safety and compassion,” to be held in early 2015.
The GMC offers a confidential helpline for anyone who wants to report a concern, which is available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Source: General Medical Council News, December 2014
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