Answer: When the Medical Tribunal de-registers a doctor it often specifies a period of time a person is precluded from applying to be re-registered as a medical practitioner.
At the end of any preclusion period, a de-registered person may apply to the Medical Tribunal for a review of de-registration orders. The person is not simply re-registered at the end of the specified period. The Medical Council appears as a "contradictor" in re-registration applications.
Factors relevant to an application can include the reasons for a de-registered person's absence from practice, continuing professional development during that absence, their health and their insight. Any new complaints received after the Tribunal hearing at which the person was de-registered can also provide important evidence to the Council's case.
Medical Tribunal decisions are published on the Council's website and the Register of Medical Practitioners (www.ahpra.gov.au) confirms a doctor's current registration status.
