Independent Medical Examiner Selection Process - Transport ...

Independent Medical Examiner Selection Process
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) will at its discretion, from time to time,
call for applications for medical service providers (‘practitioners’) seeking to
undertake medical examinations as independent medical examiners for the purposes
of the Transport Accident Act 1986.
Independent medical examiners may be:
• medical practitioners
• registered psychologists
• registered dentists
• registered optometrists
• registered physiotherapists
• registered chiropractors
• registered osteopaths and
• registered podiatrists
who have met the selection criteria determined by the TAC.
The timing for the calling of applications will be determined by need.
The calling for applications may be a general one or may be limited to a call for
applications from practitioners from a particular discipline or area of expertise.
Notwithstanding that the TAC will from time to time call for applications, prospective
independent examiners may at any time submit an application to become an
independent medical examiner. The TAC may or may not consider these ad hoc
applications. This will be determined by scheme needs existing at the time.
All applications to be an independent medical examiner must address the selection
criteria and must be submitted on the prescribed application form.
Regardless of how the application is received, either instigated by the TAC or at the
ad hoc application of a practitioner, the following selection process will be adhered to
by the TAC:
• applications will be assessed by a selection panel
• a selection panel will be constituted for the selection of practitioners to be
independent medical examiners from each discipline or specialty
• Each selection panel will be constituted by a Senior Clinical Advisor and the
Manager, Independent Medical Examiners. In the situation where the
qualifications and experience of the Senior Clinical Adviser are not sufficiently
relevant to the speciality of the practitioner whose application is being
assessed then the selection panel will also include a member from either
Clinical Panel or QAP Peer Reviewer with the appropriate qualifications and
experience.
• all applications will be assessed against the selection criteria

• in the first instance all applications will be assessed on the basis of the
written application
• only if necessary and only by exception, will the selection panel contact the
applicant practitioner. This will only be undertaken if it is necessary to clarify
any aspect of the application
• the selection panel will make recommendations to the Head Health Services
Group or his or her nominee
• the TAC will give proper consideration and appropriate weight to the
recommendations of the selection panel
• irrespective of whether a practitioner meets the selection criteria for an
independent medical examiner, the TAC may reject any recommendation
from the panel where:
o
o
o
o
the TAC has declined to refer its clients to the practitioner to
undertake an independent medical examination in the past
the practitioner has been found guilty of an offence or has been
subject to disciplinary action or an adverse finding in relation to his or
her duties as a medical practitioners by a court, board, tribunal,
organisation, body or entity including the Medical Practitioners Board
of Victoria or an interstate or overseas body that carries out similar to
the functions to the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria
the TAC determines that the professional conduct of the practitioner
renders that practitioner unsuitable to be an independent medical
examiner
there is no current need for independent medical examiners from a
particular discipline or speciality or otherwise scheme needs do not
dictate a need for additional independent medical examiners from a
particular speciality or otherwise, at that time.
The external selection panel members will be appointed by the TAC for an agreed
term.
The TAC will seek advice from the Australian Medical Association and a range of
colleges and specialist societies for appropriate external members of the selection
panels.