‘Problematic’: Police assessments shifted to GPs

GPs must now sign off on aspiring police officers’ physical health and mental suitability under sweeping changes to Victoria Police’s assessment policy, prompting concerns about safety, efficacy and medico-legal implications.
 
The new policy, which came into effect in July, means a nominated GP must conduct an exam on new recruits, including a current health check and evaluation of medical suitability going back at least five years.
 
The assessments were previously carried out by Victoria Police medical officers.
 
The college was informed but not consulted about the changes, an approach labelled ‘highly problematic’ by RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz, who also raised concerns around several aspects of the new process.
 
She said the burden of cost for the checks, which are not eligible for Medicare rebates, needs to be clear.
 
‘You cannot charge Medicare for doing an assessment for which the purpose is pre-employment assessment,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘Any person who sees a GP for pre-employment assessment has to pay for that entirely themselves or the recruiting organisation has to pay for it entirely on behalf of the candidate.’
 
Dr Muñoz also described the number of roles within Victoria Police as ‘vast and complex’.
 
‘It is impossible for a GP in a single setting to be able to say that “I know now and into the future that this person is psychologically fit and will remain fit”,’ she said.
 
‘To do so for every conceivable role within Victoria Police, it is not possible.
 
‘Risk assessments are inherently uncertain and clinically unreliable in predicting future risk. They’re point-in-time assessments, not predictions.
 
‘GPs are concerned they may be forced to defend clinical decision-making in legal settings, potentially years later.’
 
Dr Muñoz also challenged the assumption that GPs will have first-hand knowledge of five years of the candidate’s medical history.
 
‘That assumes that they all have GPs they have seen consistently for five years and that they can have that information summarised in a single episode of care,’ she said.
 
‘Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for all patients which creates an ethical challenge for GPs.’
 
In a statement to newsGP, a Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed applicants have been undergoing medical assessments for their physical and mental health suitability through their own GP since 1 July.
 
They said the change reflects a ‘commitment to a more flexible, efficient, and applicant-focused recruitment process’ and is ‘guided by detailed instructions and comprehensive medical guidelines provided by Victoria Police’.
 
Applicants undergo two psychometric tests as part of the recruitment process, they said.
 
‘The applicants who progress past the psychometric testing are required to undertake a separate psychological assessment with their GP,’ they stated.
 
‘As part of this process, a Victoria Police psychologist provides GPs with a summary of any critical items identified in these tests.
 
‘GPs will assess this information, alongside at least five years of the applicant’s medical history and any additional reports to make an informed decision.
 
‘Where necessary GPs may refer applicants to specialist clinicians including psychiatrists or psychologists prior to making a decision.
 
‘This process remains within the scope of practice for a GP, with the overwhelming majority of GPs approached to conduct these assessments to date agreeing to facilitate.’
 
They said GPs’ strict clinical, ethical, and legislative standards would help maintain Victoria Police’s ‘high standards of entry’, and that Victoria Police teams could be contacted about any psychological concerns that would prevent recruits from graduating.
 
According to Nine Newspapers, the shift in recruitment policy is due to recruitment pressures on the police, where there is a reported shortfall in numbers.
 
The controversy has echoes of a firearm health assessment introduced in Western Australia earlier this year.
 
New laws in that jurisdiction require gun owners – or those looking to own a gun – to have a medical professional, including GPs, complete an assessment every five years to gauge their physical and mental fitness to own a gun.
 
GPs in the state also expressed concern about ethical dilemmas, legal risks and the potential to strain doctor-patient relationships.
 
More information on the new recruitment policy is available on the Victoria Police website.
 
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