Proposed health checks could be ageist

The AMA even went so far as to question the legality of the proposals.

The prospect of mandatory health checks for older doctors has been on the cards for several years but was quietly shelved during the all-hands-on-deck phase of the pandemic, with doctors encouraged to delay retirement or return to practice.

It came back with a bang this year, with AHPRA and the Medical Board of Australia abruptly opening a consultation on the topic in early August.

There are three options on the table: keeping the status quo; “extensive and detailed” fitness to practice assessments; or GP-run general health checks to “support early detection of concerns”.

That consultation has now closed.

The medical board has already indicated that its preference is option three, general health checks.

“We don’t support cognitive testing and prefer any health assessment to be of a general nature.”