Welcome to the Member Consultation page for 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

What we’re doing

• 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.

For more information on the process and MBA guidelines for an application to recognise a specialty, please click here 

Why we’re doing this

• 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).
• Benefits of gaining specialty recognition are:
  • To increase patient access to safe, effective and high-quality care delivered by Specialist IRs and Specialist INRs.
  • 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.
  • Affords IR and INR specialty status that will be recognised by governments, hospital administrations, clinicians and patients.
  • Ensures development of specialist standards of practice and training programs that underpin specialty practice.
  • Strengthen the important role that radiology, and clinical radiologists, play in delivering modern healthcare.

For more information, click here for frequently asked questions (coming soon)

New Zealand

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.

How you can give feedback

Consultation opens 18 September 2021 and closes 30 November 2021.

We have a range of ways you can provide your feedback:

1. Complete our feedback form

2. Email your feedback to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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.

Want to know what’s going on?

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.

Overview
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) is accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) to conduct assessments of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) on behalf of the Medical Board of Australia (MBA).

RANZCR is responsible for ensuring that IMGs practising in Australia are fully supported to practice safely. To achieve this aim, RANZCR plays a central role to ensure that there are structures, processes and policies that support IMGs to reach the standard of a RANZCR trained clinical radiologist or radiation oncologist so that they can practise safely, effectively, and collaboratively in compliance with expected standard in Australia. A broader role is to ensure those upskilling and working in regional Australia and/or state and territory determined as Areas of Need (AoN) are well supported.

In 2020, RANZCR undertook a wide-ranging stakeholder consultation providing feedback from our members, former and current IMGs, private practices as well as other stakeholders. The resultant IMG Stakeholder Report: Executive Summary is publicly available on the College’s website. RANZCR took into consideration all stakeholder feedback in the process of drafting a new IMG Assessment Policy.

RANZCR is currently seeking stakeholder feedback on the draft International Medical Graduate (IMG) Assessment Policy (Australia) and draft AoN Site Accreditation Standards.

Specialty

Clinical Radiology and Radiation Oncology

How to submit

Members and all interested stakeholders can submit their comments and feedback to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 20 October 2021. Please reference line numbers where appropriate.

Documents

Deans Correspondence - Overview and stakeholder questions
  Draft International Medical Graduate (IMG) Assessment Policy (Australia)
  Draft Clinical Radiology Area of Need (AoN) Site Accreditation Standards
  Draft Radiation Oncology Area of Need (AoN) Site Accreditation Standards

Overview

This paper has been developed to inform on the regulation of AI in AU and NZ. 

The regulation of medical devices and treatments is a cornerstone of safe medical practice. Given the recent technological advances in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and the possibility of the rapid dissemination of this technology throughout the Australian and New Zealand healthcare systems, the development of an effective regulatory framework for intelligent medical software must be considered an public health priority.

How to submit

Members and interested parties can submit their comments and feedback to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  by 24 September 2021. Please reference line numbers where appropriate.

Document

RANZCR Position Statement on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Consultation