Answer: The Medical Council is a statutory authority whose main role is to ensure doctors are fit to practise medicine. It achieves this by ensuring that registered doctors maintain proper standards of conduct and competence.
The Council currently comprises 20 members appointed by the Governor of NSW. Fifteen of the members are doctors, and five are non-medical members. The Council is funded through registration fees paid by all doctors in NSW and is independent of the government and the medical profession.
The AMA is a membership organisation for doctors, representing the professional interests of doctors in areas such as workplace, workforce, financing, legal, public health and ethics (www.ama.com.au or www.amansw.com.au). The AMA has representation on a range of external agencies involved with medical, health and social issues, including nominees on the Medical Council of NSW.
