Older doctors could face mandatory medical checks
Older doctors could soon have to undergo medical check-ups to continue working. The medical board says older doctors are more likely to be the subject of complaints and it wants to make the change to keep patients safe.
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00:00At 72, orthopaedic surgeon Andreas Loeffler is not slowing down.
00:08Even though some people think I am senior, shall we say, use that term rather than old,
00:15I'm actually still in full time employment.
00:18He says age is no barrier to being a doctor.
00:2170 is quite an arbitrary number.
00:23But the Medical Board of Australia disagrees.
00:27As we all age, all of us get health issues, and doctors get them just as much as anyone
00:32else does.
00:33And occasionally the health issue makes it difficult for the doctor to look after their
00:37patients safely.
00:38The Medical Board has put three options on the table for doctors over 70.
00:43The first is a rigorous test to determine a doctor's fitness to practice.
00:48The second, and the Board's preferred option, is that doctors have a general check-up every
00:52three years and an annual check when they turn 80.
00:56If they're diagnosed with a condition that may impair their work, they'd need to do something
01:01about it or would be mandatorily reported to the Board.
01:06The other option is to maintain the current status quo.
01:09Late career practitioners over the age of 70 are 81% more likely to be complained about
01:15than their younger colleagues.
01:17But some are concerned a blanket check-up isn't suitable for all medical specialties.
01:23When it comes as an age-related thing rather than a competence-related thing or an incident,
01:28that we have some concerns, and 70 is the new 50.
01:31The Australian Medical Association says it wants to ensure that older doctors aren't
01:36discriminated against because of their age.
01:39Doctors say they want clarity around whether they could be forced to retire.
01:43The Board's consultation period will run for two months.