In preparation for the introduction of national medical registration from July 2010, the AMC, on behalf of all state and territory medical boards, developed a national code of professional conduct for medical practitioners – Good Medical Practice: A Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia.
The national Code defined clear, nationally consistent standards of practice and was designed to reflect the understanding of both the community and the medical profession about the accepted standards of good professional conduct of Australia’s doctors in modern medical practice.
The AMC received Commonwealth Government funding, through the Department of Health and Ageing, to conduct a national consultation process which included: a dedicated website; an online survey; a public call for written submissions; direct stakeholder engagement and public forums across Australia; and a partnership with the Consumers Health Forum of Australia. The final Code was endorsed by the AMC Directors in August 2009 and recommended to all state and territory medical boards for adoption or endorsement. To view the AMC Good Medical Practice: A Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia click here.
In July 2010, under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme the Medical Board of Australia adopted and reissued Good Medical Practice: A Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia with the minor modifications to reflect the Health Practitioners Regulation National Law Act 2009 (the National Law). The Medical Board of Australia is now responsible for ongoing updates of Good Medical Practice and the current version is available here.
