Protection for medical practitioners coming from the MDU
Hints and tips about practising in Australia
Coming to Australia from the UK?
In order to be registered as a healthcare practitioner in Australia you must have appropriate professional indemnity insurance in place. Avant is the largest medical defence organisation in Australia with our own in-house legal team to assist you when you need it the most. The MDU and Avant have a strategic partnership in place which will help to make your application more straight forward.
Moving from Australia to the UK?
If you plan to work in the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) requires that you have adequate indemnity insurance in place. The MDU is the leading provider of indemnity for doctors working in the UK. Avant and the MDU have a strategic partnership in place which will help to make your application more straight forward.
Overview of the Australian healthcare system
Department of Health – The DoctorConnect website has been developed by the Department of Health for doctors trained outside Australia and Australian medical employers
Relevant bodies and organisations to be aware of
- The Australian Medical Association (AMA) – a membership organisation representing registered medical practitioners in Australia
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners – Australia’s largest professional general practice organisation
Related Avant products and resources
Registration
- Australian Health Practitioner’s Regulation Agency – AHPRA is the national regulating body for medical practitioners
- Medical Board of Australia – the Board regulates Australia’s medical practitioners
- Information on the Medical Board’s website for non-specialists or specialists who are seeking general registration through the competent authority pathway
- The Medical Board’s mandatory registration standards
National healthcare funding system
- Overview of Medicare
- Overview of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) as well as information for PBS prescribers
- PBS for new health professionals
- Department of Health information on drug scheduling
- Prescribing Schedule 8 drugs
Overview of insurance requirements
- It is a registration requirement that all health practitioners have appropriate professional indemnity insurance in place
- If you work in the hospital system, your employer will provide some indemnity, however hospital indemnity may not always provide the broad cover that you need which is why it’s good to always have your own indemnity insurance
- Premium Support Scheme (PSS) – is a government scheme to assist eligible medical practitioners to meet the costs of their professional indemnity premiums