Credit: James Mutter

Australia has passed a law restricting the use of the title ‘surgeon’ to specialist surgeons.  

Prior to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Surgeons) Amendment Bill, any registered medical practitioner could call themselves a surgeon. But now use is restricted to the following specialities: ophthalmology, surgery and obstetrics and gynaecology. Misuse of the title is now a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to AU$60,000 (NZ$65,223), three years’ imprisonment or both, plus regulatory action.  

The move supports the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the Medical Board of Australia’s (MBA’s) cleaning up of the cosmetic surgery industry, with only specialists able to call themselves a cosmetic surgeon. “This is good for patient safety and what patients asked for. It will make sure that when a medical practitioner uses the word surgeon, it means something very specific about their skills and qualifications,” said MBA chair Dr Anne Tonkin.