The government is now operating in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.

Approved Medical Deputising Services (AMDS) program guidelines and compliance

Doctors and medical deputising services must comply with the Approved Medical Deputising Services (AMDS) program guidelines. We monitor compliance and investigate any complaint we receive.

Guidelines

The AMDS program guidelines outline the responsibilities of participating doctors and medical deputising services.

For doctors

Doctors must comply with the AMDS program guidelines. This includes:

  • submitting all necessary supporting documents
  • holding at least a current Level 1 Advanced Life Support (ALS) certificate of completion
  • responding to compliance issues we or the service provider raises
  • providing evidence of participation in a 3GA training program which leads to specialist registration in general practice with the Medical Board of Australia.

For medical deputising services

AMDS service providers must comply with the AMDS program guidelines. This includes:

  • not offering incentive payments to a general practice
  • not marketing their services directly to consumers, as patients seeking after-hours care should contact their usual general practice for advice
  • only offering services that are not already offered in daytime general practices
  • operating an Australian-based call centre.

Compliance

We monitor the compliance of participating doctors and service providers and investigate any complaints we receive.

Where we determine there has been a breach of the AMDS program guidelines, we will ask the service provider to formally respond. We will then work with them to achieve compliance.

Where serious and ongoing breaches have occurred, we may terminate a service provider’s participation in the program.

If you think someone has breached the guidelines

If you believe a doctor has breached the AMDS program guidelines, you should talk to the service provider in the first instance.

If you believe a service provider has breached the guidelines, you can report this. We treat all reports confidentially.

For privacy reasons, we do not disclose the outcome of a complaint.

Contact

Approved Medical Deputising Services (AMDS) program contact

Contact us for information about the Approved Medical Deputising Services (AMDS) program or to submit an application.
Date last updated:

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