OFFERING SUPERVISION FOR LIMITED OR PROVISIONAL REGISTRATION

DOES THE PRACTICE REQUIRE ANYTHING SPECIAL?

If you're thinking about providing supervision, your practice will need:

2 VR General Practitioners willing to Supervise with at least 3 years of General Practice experience in Australia.

DO WE NEED MORE THAN ONE SUPERVISOR?

Ideally, a Principal Supervisor and a Co-Supervisor will be nominated. The Principal Supervisor is primarily responsible for supervising the Doctor under supervision. When the Principal Supervisor is unavailable, they can delegate supervision to the Co-Supervisor.

If the nominated Supervisors have not previously supervised, they will be expected to complete the online education and assessment module on the supervision guidelines within 1 month of the Doctor under supervision commencing.

HOW MANY GPs UNDER SUPERVISION CAN A SUPERVISOR HAVE?

Id a Supervisor is also consulting with their own patients, they can supervise a single Doctor on Level 1 Supervision and up to 3 Doctors on Level 2 – 4 Supervision.

This applies if you are a Co-Supervisor as well. So, if you are Co-Supervisor for a GP on Level 1 Supervision, you are unable to act as the Principal Supervisor for another GP under Level 1 Supervision.

WHAT DOES THE SUPERVISOR NEED TO DO?

Supervisors are expected to provide formal and informal supervision on the basis of the IMGs Supervision level.

Formal supervision will include scheduled time for the Supervisor and IMG to discuss and reflect on the clinical practice. This can include identifying strengths and weaknesses in practice, discussion of difficult cases and reviewing medical records.

Informal supervision is provided when necessary to provide advice, guidance and support. For example, when the IMG is consulting the Supervisor after a patient consultation.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SUPERVISION?

When commencing as a GP, most IMGs will start on Level 1 Supervision as AHPRA likes to ensure they will have adequate support and no patients will be harmed. Before you offer supervision, it is a good idea to check if your VR General Practitioners can adequately meet the responsibilities of supervision. Below are the following levels and the requirements of each level:

Level 1 Supervision

The Supervisor:

is primarily responsible for each patient seen by the Doctor under Supervision
must be physically present in the practice 100% of the time the Doctor under Supervision is practicing. Supervision via telephone or other methods is not permitted.
The Supervisee must consult the Supervisor during or after each patient consultation prior to the patient leaving the practice.

Level 2 Supervision

The Supervisor and Doctor under Supervision share the responsibility of the patients.
The Supervisor is expected to assess the Doctor under Supervision's performance and allow them the appropriate level of responsibility based on this assessment.
The Supervisors must be physically present 80% of the time and available via phone when they are not on site. The Doctor under Supervision has to consult the Supervisor daily about the management of individuals patients.

Level 3 Supervision

The Doctor under Supervision takes primary responsibility of every patient and the Supervisor must ensure there are mechanisms in place to monitor the Doctor under Supervision's practice.
The Supervisor is not required to be on site whilst the Doctor under Supervision is practicing but must be available via the phone.

Level 4 Supervision

The Doctor under Supervision is directly responsible for all patients.
The Supervisor must oversee the Doctor under Supervision's practice and be available for consultation if the Doctor under Supervision requires assistance.
Additionally, the Supervisor is expected to periodically review the IMGs practice.