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President’s Perspective
number of Fellows and thus also Trainees.
In addition, the Board also commissioned a needs analysis, to ensure that the activities of the College align with the expectations of the Fellows and the results have been very positive.
The Australian political landscape has continued to raise signi cant hurdles for the pathology profession. The College has maintained a vigorous advocacy role and many College Fellows, including your Board of Directors
and Committee members, have been actively involved in interaction with governments
(both Federal and State). We are determined to protect the interests of Fellows and of patients. Your representatives have been interacting
with Health Ministers, Health Department bureaucrats and the media. The major ongoing issues include the MBS Review, Collection Centre rental issues, Cervical Cancer screening renewal, and the lack of utility of the MSAC process
when it is applied to diagnostic testing. The College has been involved, along with Australian Pathology and Public Pathology Australia, in negotiations with the Federal Department of Health with the aim of forging an Accord about how the recommendations of the MBS review are to be implemented and how the MSAC process can be modi ed to become more “ t for purpose”.
Workshops have continued with the Medical Board of Australia regarding the creation of a revalidation process for medical practitioners (now renamed the Professional Performance Framework). We remain optimistic that we
will end up with a process that is relevant to Pathology and which will t in with routine work. The RCPA’s changes to the Continuing Professional Development Program have placed us well to comply with the MBA’s proposed processes.
June of this year saw the two yearly RCPA visit to our jurisdictions in South East Asia. The
CEO, Chair of the Board of Education and Assessment and I visited Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The trip was both interesting and useful. I would particularly like to thank the Singapore Councillor, Dr Inny Busmanis for her organisation and assistance in Singapore and to Prof SK Cheong for looking after us in KL. A visit to Hong Kong is scheduled for later in the year.
Finally I would like to thank you, the College Fellows, for your support of College activities, whether it’s volunteering to participate in a myriad of representative roles and tasks or taking part in College organised events. I am also most grateful for the endeavours and commitment of the CEO and all those College employees who support our organisation.
I commend the 2018 annual report to you.
Bruce Latham President
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ANNUAL REPORT • 2017 - 2018