[ad_1]
Victoria Police’s plan to streamline recruitment by having GPs sign off on mental fitness is in danger of being blocked by the country’s peak doctors group and insurance companies worried about “significant risks” to public safety.
Senior police are due to meet with the Victorian head of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners on Wednesday amid the group’s “serious concerns” that the force is now depending on general practice doctors to make the final decision on whether someone is mentally and physically capable of serving as a police officer.
The meeting was called after RACGP Victoria faculty chair Dr Anita Munoz wrote a letter to Chief Commissioner Mike Bush in late January outlining a litany of issues with Victoria Police’s decision to dump its internal psychological assessment program last year in favour of approval from GPs.
“Since engaging in consultation with Victoria Police about these changes, our concerns about the significant risks to our members, serving officers, and the Victorian public have only increased,” said the letter, which was sent anonymously to The Age.
The letter, dated January 21, requested a formal meeting between the two.
“The nature of police work which sees officers using firearms and driving cars at speed in public places and being exposed to a wide array of high-risk situations means pre-employment assessments must be taken seriously,” the letter added.
“Fast-tracking measures to boost police numbers must not come at the cost of lower standards that put your workforce and the Victorian public at risk.”
Victoria Police formerly had in-house specialists conduct psychological testing, reviewing results and determining suitability.
Under a new system introduced in July 2025, potential recruits sit a 30- to 40-minute online psychometric test.
The results are reviewed by a Victoria Police psychologist and then forwarded to a GP for interpretation, potential further investigation and, ultimately, final approval of the candidate’s mental health.
Victoria Police, which has been facing a serious recruitment shortfall for years, said the decision was made because “nobody knows your health better than your doctor”.
“This change reflects Victoria Police’s commitment to a more flexible, efficient and applicant-focused recruitment process,” it said at the time.
But the program, which was introduced without consultation with the GPs peak body, has met stiff resistance.
In her letter, Munoz said the nature of the psychological assessment meant interpreting the results required additional training, and recommended a specialised system similar to that used for pilots.
“Without dedicated training for practitioners undertaking police pre-employment assessments, there is a risk of increasing numbers of unfit candidates which will lead to increasing WorkSafe claims, and greater burden on Victoria’s already overburdened mental health system.”
The letter details how the risks could be acute enough for the country’s insurers to refuse to allow doctors to participate in the revamped scheme.
“Our concerns about the medico-legal risks for GPs are so great that we will be seeking advice from Australia’s largest medico-legal advisory companies, which we expect will prevent GPs from engaging in these assessments as it will void their insurance,” Munoz wrote.
The letter also said the college was concerned by reports about police candidates “doctor shopping to get the outcome they want”.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said the force was aware of the RACGP’s concerns about “some aspects” of the new physical and mental health assessment process.
“We have been constructively engaging with the college and are due to next meet with its representatives on 18 February,” they said.
“We are always open to making necessary changes as we continue to review and strengthen the assessment process.
“Victoria Police does not compromise on safety or its high entry standards.”
The RACGP did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
From our partners
[ad_2]
