Interventional Radiology and Interventional Neuroradiology

RANZCR is seeking formal recognition of Interventional Radiology and Interventional Neuroradiology as clinical radiology specialties and we invite your feedback on this initiative.

We are interested to hear your feedback on this and how it may impact the following key areas: coordination and continuity of health care; quality and safety of care; workforce; financial impacts; business implications.

RANZCR is pursuing specialty recognition with the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) for Interventional Radiology (IR) and Interventional Neuroradiology (INR). As a first step, RANZCR is proposing to submit initial applications to the MBA. If successful, this will see IR and INR recognised as clinical specialties in Australia. This will enable specialist IRs and INRs to be registered through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with a protected specialist title. Note that this does not protect a scope of practice.

Specialty recognition in Australia is a process by which a protected specialist title can be established. This means that only individuals registered in the specialty of IR or INR will be eligible to use a formally recognised specialist medical title (ie Specialist IR and Specialist INR).

1. To increase patient access to safe, effective and high-quality care delivered by Specialist IRs and Specialist INRs.

2. To enable Specialist IRs and Specialist INRs to practice a complete range of clinical capabilities that constitute high quality patient-centred care. This extends from receiving referrals and/or discussion at a multidisciplinary meeting, conducting patient consultations, providing clinical care and treatment, through to the end of a patient’s health care journey and follow up care.

3. Affords IR and INR specialty status that will be recognised by governments, hospital administrations, clinicians and patients.

4. Ensures development of specialist standards of practice and training programs that underpin specialty practice.

5. Strengthen the important role that radiology, and clinical radiologists, play in delivering modern healthcare.

In 2022 RANZCR will be considering formal recognition for IR and INR in New Zealand with the Medical Council of New Zealand. Note that these specialties already have some degree of recognition in New Zealand.

Consultation opens 18 September 2021 and closes 30 November 2021.

1. Complete our feedback form at www.ranzcr.com/our-work/consultations

2. Email your feedback to IRCconsultations@ranzcr.edu.au

3. Talk to us - A series of state based virtual road shows will be held (dates and times to be confirmed).

Feedback may be published in publicly available reports at the end of the consultation period. Your name or organisation’s name may appear in these reports with your feedback attributed. If you would like your feedback to be kept confidential, please let us know when providing your feedback.

To keep updated on the progress of this consultation and RANZCR’s application for formal recognition, please continue to visit this page, RANZCR’s monthly Faculty of Clinical Radiology e-news, social media pages and the Inside News quarterly magazine.

For more information on the process and MBA guidelines for an application to recognise a specialty, please visit www.amc.org.au/accreditation-and-recognition/recognition-of-new-medical-specialties-2/

Dr Nick Brown (chair), A/Prof Dinesh Varma (Chief of Professional Practice), Dr Sibtain Raza (FCR Council representative), Dr Andrew Cheung, A/Prof Andrew Holden, A/Prof William McAuliffe, Prof Winston Chong, A/Prof Ronil Chandra, A/Prof Warren Clements, Dr Amit Lakkaraju, Dr Terry Kok, Dr Thomas Pearson (clinical radiology trainee representative), Mr Murray McLachlan (consumer representative).

Dr Andrew Cheung (co-chair), A/Prof Andrew Holden (co-chair), Dr Nick Brown (IRC chair), A/Prof Dinesh Varma (chief of professional practice), A/Prof Laetitia De Villiers, Dr Hamed Asadi, Dr Nicholas Cheung, A/Prof Gerard Goh (IRSA representative), A/Prof William McAuliffe (ANZSNR representative), A/Prof Julie Ash (Medical Educationalist).

Prof Winston Chong (chair), Dr Nick Brown, A/Prof Gerard Goh, Dr Jim Koukounaras, Dr Con Phatouros, Dr Andrew Cheung, A/Prof Ronil Chandra, Dr Martin Dobes, Dr Colin Chong, Dr Matthew Lukies, Mr Murray McLachlan (consumer representative).

Dr Jonathan Tibballs (chair), Dr Albert Chiu, Dr Justin Whitley, Dr Hamed Asadi, A/Prof Lourens Bester, A/Prof Laetitia De Villiers, Dr Deepak Jain, Dr Arockia Doss, Dr Nicholas Cheung, Dr Murthy Chennapragada, Dr Kartik Bhatia, Dr Abysinia Sibanda, Dr Wei Che Tsai, Dr Sivasubramanian Srinivasan, Dr Matthys Van Wyk.