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Ochre Recruitment

There are a number of things that need to be considered when looking at a locum or a permanent job across the ditch!

Below is some information to get you started. Remember Ochre Recruitment can assist suitable applicants along the way by cutting through the Government red tape. Much of the information on this website for Overseas Trained Doctors is relevant to New Zealand Trained Doctors. The key two differences are that Australia recognises the New Zealand Medical Degree and that if you are a New Zealand citizen then Immigration requirements are not an issue. However New Zealand Trained Doctors are subject to the Medicare Provider Number 10 Year Moratorium (note further information on this can be found on this website in the Overseas Trained Doctor section). 

The process can be complicated and it will often help to read the information and then discuss any issues with one of our Recruitment Consultants.   

Below is a quick summary for Medical Practitioners with a New Zealand Medical Degree and New Zealand citizenship that wish to work in Australia.

Registration
New Zealand Trained Doctors wishing to do non fully qualified specialist hospital work and no private practice can have their Medical Degree recognised via Mutual Recognition.

There are two ways for New Zealand graduate GP's to obtain registration in Australia.

1. General registration via Mutual Recognition of your Primary Medical Degree or if you have the FRNZCGP qualification you can apply to the Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP) for Fellowship and then obtain registration through the relevant State Medical Board.
2. The second method means that you will also be recognised as a Vocationally Registered GP in Australia. If you do not have a New Zealand primary degree but have the FRNZCGP then you will also be able to get full registration in Australia as a Vocationally Registered GP. 
   
   Each State in Australia has its own Medical Board and you need to be registered with each State Medical Board that you intend to work in. If you have never been registered in Australia you will need to appear in person at the relevant Medical Board to get your registration for the first time. There will be a number of documents that the Medical Boards require and we can advise you as to what they need as they differ a little from State to State. You can also look at the links to the relevant Medical Boards on the Links page for an up-to-date list.

Medicare Provider Number
All Medical Practitioners seeing patients in a private practice will need a Medicare Provider Number to access fee for service payments from Medicare for services provided. Doctors from overseas including New Zealand that were registered in Australia after the 1st January 1997 have restrictions placed on access to Medicare Provider Numbers. This is known as the Medicare Provider Number 10 Year Moratorium.

Exemptions to these restrictions can be obtained depending where you are practicing and will usually mean you need to work in a rural area and not a major coastal city. The 10 Year Moratorium can be reduced to 5 years or as few as 3 years by working in a rural area and becoming Vocationally qualified. Once the requirements for the reduction have been met the Medical Practitioner will become unrestricted and can work anywhere in Australia   It is best to get on the phone and discuss what positions may be available with one of our Recruitment Consultants as we may have a position that suits your needs. 
Ochre Recruitment will assist in organising your Provider Number prior to starting employment. This usually takes two to three weeks from when your Medical Board registration has been processed.

Taxation
All doctors working as an independent contractor in Australia need to pay tax in Australia and will need to get an Australian Business Number (ABN).  To find out more about this please see our link to the Australian Tax Office. If you don’t have an ABN employers may deduct tax from your contract payments at the top marginal rate.

Medical Indemnity Insurance
Your New Zealand Medical Indemnity Insurance will not cover you in Australia and you will need to get Medical indemnity Insurance from an Australian insurer for your work in Australia. Please note that insurance is usually needed for private work only. Hospital work for the most part is covered by an Indemnity Contract which is provided free by the State Governments. It should be noted that with General Practice work there is a requirement to get run off cover when you leave the position and return to New Zealand as once you stop paying the premium the cover lapses.

The cost of Indemnity cover in Australia for private work has become very reasonable over the last year or two, so please do not let this deter you from working in Australia. There is a list of Medical Indemnity Insurers on our Links page