Medical practitioners’ use of the title surgeon under the National Law

Victoria is leading a national consultation on behalf of all Australian Health Ministers on the use of the title surgeon by medical practitioners under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (National Law). 

This is a duplication of contact from the Department of Health. It was received on 13th December, 2021.

Health ministers are concerned that the regulatory framework which currently enables all medical practitioners’ use of the title ‘surgeon’, including ‘cosmetic surgeon’, may be confusing for members of the public who may have a limited understanding of medical practitioners’ training and qualifications. 

A Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) has been developed to facilitate public consultation on this issue, with several policy and/or legislative options proposed to address issues outlined in the Consultation RIS. 

The Consultation RIS on medical practitioners’ use of the title surgeon under the National Law is now available to the public. The Consultation RIS and other supporting documents can be found at: https://engage.vic.gov.au/medical-practitioners-use-title-surgeon-under-national-law

Links to feedback templates, and a survey for consumers, will be published shortly.

Information collected from stakeholders will inform the development of a Decision RIS which will be released to the public. The Decision RIS will outline and explain the preferred option/s for implementation and discuss any potential impacts to the sector.

If you have any queries about the consultation process, please contact the NRAS Review Implementation Project Team at NRAS.Consultation@health.vic.gov.au.


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