GPRA Seeks New Approach
The President of General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA), Dr Melanie Smith today said that GPRA had withdrawn from the current negotiations for the National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrars (NTCER) in order to begin a process of change.
“The current negotiation process has been in use for some time and is no longer the best possible vehicle for reviewing the complex arrangements under which the conditions of employment and training are determined for registrars entering general practice,” said Dr Smith.
“We accept that the members of the delegation from General Practice Supervisors Australia (GPSA) have used best endeavours to consider a range of employer-related issues but we have found that, as we sit around the table, we are repeatedly trying to evaluate key aspects of employment in the absence of useful data and information.”
“GPRA is taking the lead in seeking a revised process for the NTCER that is fair and reasonable and addresses the many concerns and issues raised by training practices and registrars,” she said.
“There is generational change within the general practice landscape and we need to explore new options for GP registrar remuneration. A revised, more research-based NTCER will contribute to that aim.”
“In withdrawing from the current NTCER negotiations we are looking to reset the negotiation process and initiate new conversations and evidence-base considerations on the ways in which registrars are remunerated during their GP training,” she said.
“We are open to other organisations, including GPSA, sharing information about the dynamics of the marketplace and indicating options for managing the financial aspects of taking a GP registrar into a practice.”
“We will be utilising the outcomes from the 2017 National Strategy Summit to set the key goals for our role in the change process,” said Dr Smith.all of their patient billings. We encourage all training practices to support their registrars on this matter.”
ENDS
Inquiries:
General Practice Registrars Australia
enquiries@gpra.org.au or 03 9629 8878