RANZCO and Australia’s other specialist medical colleges will speak with one unified voice on healthcare policy under major governance reforms designed to accelerate responses to workforce shortages and access barriers.
As the peak body for Australia’s specialist medical colleges, the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) said the transformation comes at a critical time for Australian healthcare, with the system facing ongoing workforce pressures and access challenges that require coordinated responses across all medical specialities.
RANZCO president Professor Peter McCluskey is one of 16 CPMC council members. The college’s position on ophthalmology workforce is the specialty faces a maldistribution issue, rather than a shortage. Equity of access remains a top priority, with the ratio of eye surgeons to Australians roughly one to every 24,181 set of eyes. Only an estimated one in 10 positions are held in the public sector, according to the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists.
“Our previous structure was a historical legacy,” said Associate Professor Sanjay Jeganathan, president of the council and chair of the board. “We are building a voice for specialist doctors, including GPs, that is responsive, accessible and can respond to challenges in real time.
“This unanimous decision shows we are united and ready to help shape urgent healthcare reform with a clear, strong voice.”
Ms Jodie Long, CEO of the CPMC, said the changes will enable more agile decision-making and clearer communication with government, health departments, and other stakeholders, positioning the peak body as more transparent, responsive, and strategically focussed in its advocacy role.
The changes, approved at a Special General Meeting on 17 July 2025, replace CPMC’s traditional single-council structure with a model featuring a Representative College Council of Presidents and a separate board of directors.
This moves away from the previous 16-member council that functioned as both representative body and board.
The reforms reflect CPMC’s commitment to better listening to members and stakeholders, empowering the organisation to respond quickly to the changing nature of Australia’s healthcare system, it said.
Under the new structure, the Representative College Council will ensure all member colleges maintain their voice in organisational direction, while the separate board will provide focussed strategic leadership and enhanced accountability.
The CPMC said its purpose was to uphold and advance the standards of medical practice by influencing the development of a skilled medical workforce through training and education and the quality and safety of patient care.
“Collectively we aim to improve, protect and promote the health of Australians,” it says on its website.
One medical college member of CPMC, The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons as Fellows (FRACS).
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