Ahpra has made several improvements to support practitioners under investigation, according to the Australian Medical Association (AMA), which is now calling for greater accountability when “extreme powers” like immediate actions are used “so none of us are left languishing for years”.
The peak body’s president Dr Danielle McMullen reflected on her key takeaways from the ‘Ahpra: Shaping better regulatory experiences forum’ in Melbourne with leaders and representatives of all regulated health professions in Australia.
She said the purpose of the meeting was to outline the learnings and changes that Ahpra has implemented out of a 2023 research paper, which found at least 16 practitioners had died by suicide while subject to a notification, or patient complaint.
“I was appalled at the findings of the report, but sadly not surprised. For years, the AMA has highlighted the impact notifications have on the lives of medical practitioners, despite the vast majority resulting in no actions,” she said in a recent Linkedin post.
“This report made it clear that something needed to change.”
During the forum, she said attendees heard deeply personal and confronting stories about vexatious complaints, colleagues who died by suicide while under investigation, and the challenges of managing a notification alongside underlying mental health issues.
Also discussed were tangible changes Ahpra has implemented to support practitioners under investigation.
According to McMullen, these included, restructuring how notifications are handled so that a peer (i.e. doctor) reviews health-related notifications early on, improvements to ensuring there is a clear point of contact at Ahpra, and resolving low-level notifications prior to informing practitioners.
But more work was needed, Dr McMullen said.
“Most doctors will face a notification to Ahpra at some point in their careers, often marking the most stressful period of their professional lives,” she said.
“While it is essential the Australian public has a mechanism to lodge complaints and that appropriate action is taken when patient safety is at risk, it is equally important the doctors who are the subjects of these notifications are afforded due process and a swift resolution. We have not got this balance right in Australia.”
Should Ahpra be accountable for wellbeing?
Dr McMullen said while there were several examples of process failures displayed at the forum, the AMA heard many more examples in preparation for its submission to the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman’s (NHPO) investigation into immediate actions.
“These meetings have delivered real improvements, but there is only so much Ahpra can do without changes to the Health Practitioner National Law that governs Ahpra,” Dr McMullen said.
“That’s why we continue to call on health ministers to mandate a duty of care to the registrant to minimise the mental health impacts of notifications.”
The AMA’s recent submission to the NHPO made this point and called on further changes to ensure there is accountability when extreme powers like immediate actions are used so none of us are left languishing for years.
“We want real change to the National Law so that Ahpra are accountable for our wellbeing. Unfortunately, health ministers find it easy to ignore our pleas. The AMA won’t give up on this,” Dr McMullen said.
At the same time, she said the industry needed to reduce the stigma around notifications and the fear of the process, particularly given that most will face one at some point in their career.
“To my fellow doctors, remember the threshold for mandatory notification is high and is only required when a practitioner is putting the public at substantial risk of harm,” she said.
“The fear of notification should not deter you from seeking care for your own health. If you receive a notification – which you most likely will at some point in your career – please speak to your support network. You can also call Drs4Drs.”
At the conclusion of the forum, Ahpra acknowledged there is still a long way to go, but it is committed to improving the process and supporting practitioner wellbeing.
“This was an important acknowledgement, and the AMA will continue to work with Ahpra to achieve this,” McMullen said.
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