Doctors demand seat at the table after years of government neglect exposed

The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) has delivered a scathing response to the findings of the Beasley report, warning that years of government mismanagement and exclusion of clinical leadership have fuelled the growing healthcare crisis in New South Wales.

The report from the Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding in NSW, led by Justice Richard Beasley, pulled no punches. After 70 hearing days over 18 months, it delivered 41 recommendations and a clear message: the system needs “significant work”, and both state and federal governments share the blame.

CPMC Chair and President of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR), Associate Professor Sanjay Jeganathan, said the report is in line with what specialist medical colleges have been saying for years.

“We applaud Beasley for recognising there has been a lack of clinical leadership included in decision-making regarding the workforce,” A/Professor Jeganathan said. “The report specifically calls for ‘continued use of the colleges’ specialist expertise included in the governance and planning.'”

The report exposed a systemic failure to plan for the future medical workforce. NSW has, it states, failed to do “a very good job of predicting ahead of time how many doctors it will need, nor facilitating collaboration between educational institutions and medical colleges for the delivery of that workforce.”

The consequences are being felt across the state. Families are left in limbo – waiting for access to public hospital specialists, travelling long distances for appointments, and spending thousands on private care. Many face delayed diagnoses and deteriorating health outcomes.

“While this report focuses on NSW, we know this crisis is more widespread across Australia,” A/Professor Jeganathan said. “The lack of workforce planning is why NSW families are paying the price.”

The CPMC has long cautioned against quick fixes that could deepen inequities in care. In particular, it has raised red flags about the fast-tracked registration of Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs), a move it warns could fracture the health system further by entrenching postcode-based disparities.

Rather than shortcuts, the Council advocates for “sustainable solutions that support international specialists to meet our high standards, not shortcuts that risk patient safety and professional standards.”

The CPMC is now calling on NSW Health to integrate clinical leadership into all workforce planning decisions, work transparently with medical colleges, share critical workforce data, and invest in more specialist training positions where the need is most severe.

“The Beasley report confirms what we’ve long known – doctors must help shape our healthcare future. We’re ready to team up with NSW Health to make it happen,” said A/Professor Jeganathan.

“The solutions exist, but they require government leadership and long-term thinking,” he added. “It’s time for NSW to act on this evidence.”

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