Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]

HEALTH INSURANCE (VOCATIONAL REGISTRATION OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS)REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1992 NO. 297

STATUTORY RULES 1992 No. 297

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services

Health Insurance Act 1973

Health Insurance (Vocational Registration of General Practitioners) Regulations (Amendment)

The Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides for payments by way of medical benefits, payments for hospital services and payments for matters concerning related committees and tribunals.

Section 133 of the Act provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of the Act.

Section 3F of the Act provides for the registration of certain medical practitioners as vocationally registered general practitioners. Subsection 3F(6) outlines the requirements applicants for vocational registration must meet in order to be entered on the Vocational Register of General Practitioners, which includes a provision that the applicant is eligible for registration, in accordance with the regulations.

These Regulations [the Health Insurance (Vocational Registration of GP's) Regulations] refer to criteria which must be considered before a medical practitioner is either eligible for registration or removed from the register (Regulation 7). These criteria are the "Criteria for Vocational Registration of General Practitioners" and are developed and published by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

The Regulations introduce minor amendments to correct a grammatical error in the title of the Health Insurance (Vocational Registration of GP's) Regulations, change the date of publication of the RACGP's "Criteria for Vocational Registration" and acknowledge that the RACGP has relocated its headquarters.

Regulation 2 amends the citation, omitting an abbreviation and substituting the words "General Practitioners" in full for "GP's".

Regulation 3 amends definitions to reflect the publication of revised criteria for vocational registration by the RACCP on 1 September 1992 and the relocation of the RACGP's headquarters to a new address. The criteria for vocational registration have been revised by the RACGP to reflect the medical profession's view that doctors should complete appropriate post-graduate training before becoming vocationally registered general practitioners and are also in accord with the decision to accelerate general practitioners' entry onto the register in order to encourage their greater involvement in continuing medical education. As copies of the criteria need to be available to the public, it was necessary to acknowledge the RACGP's change of address.

The Regulations commence on gazettal.