Medicare Benefits Schedule - Note PN.13.2

The following is an extract from the Approved Pathology Practitioner (APP) undertaking: 

Part  2 - Personal supervision

2.1       I acknowledge that it is my obligation, subject to Parts 2.2 and 2.4, personally to supervise any person who renders any service on my behalf and I undertake to accept personal responsibility for the rendering of that service under the following conditions of personal supervision:

(i)         Subject to the following conditions, I will usually be physically available in the laboratory while services are being provided at the laboratory;

(ii)        I may, subject to paragraph (vi) below, be physically absent from the laboratory while services are being rendered outside its normal hours of operation but in that event I will leave with the person rendering the service particulars of the manner in which I may be contacted while the service is being rendered and I must be able to personally attend at the laboratory while the service is being rendered or formally designate another APP present while I am absent;

(iii)       I may, subject to paragraph (vi) below, be absent from the laboratory for brief periods due to illness or other personal necessity, or to take part in activities which, in accordance with normal and accepted practice, relate to the provision of services by that laboratory;

(iv)       I will personally keep a written log of my absences from the laboratory that extend beyond one workday in respect of that laboratory and will retain that log in the laboratory for 18 months from date of last entry;

(v)        If I am to be absent from the laboratory for more than 7 consecutive workdays, I will arrange for another APP to personally supervise the rendering of services in the laboratory. That arrangement shall be recorded in writing and retained in the laboratory for 18 months from date of last entry. Until such person is appointed, and his or her appointment is recorded in writing, I will remain personally responsible to comply with this undertaking;

(vi)       If a service is being rendered on my behalf by a person who is not:

(a)        a medical practitioner;

(b)        a scientist; or

(c)        a person having special qualifications or skills relevant to the service being rendered;

and no person in the above groups is physically present in the laboratory, then I must be physically present in the laboratory and closely supervise the rendering of the service; 

(vii)      I accept responsibility for taking all reasonable steps to ensure that in regard to services rendered by me or on my behalf:

(a)        all persons who render services are adequately trained;

(b)        all services which are to be rendered in the laboratory are allocated to persons employed by the APA and, these persons shall have appropriate qualifications and experience to render the services;

(c)        the methods and procedures in operation in the laboratory for the purpose of rendering services are in accordance with proper and correct practices;

(d)        for services rendered, proper quality control methods are established and reviewed to ensure their reliability and effectiveness; and

(e)        results of services and tests rendered are accurately recorded and sent to the treating practitioner and, where applicable, a referring practitioner; 

(viii)     If I perform, or there is performed on my behalf, a service which consists of the analysis of a specimen which I know, or have reason to believe, has been taken other than in accordance with the provisions of section 16A(5AA) of the Act I will endorse, or cause to be endorsed, on the assignment form or the account for that service, as the case may be, particulars of the circumstances in which I believe, or have reason to believe, the specimen was taken. 

2.2       Where services are to be rendered on my behalf in a Category B laboratory as defined in the Health Insurance (Accredited Pathology Laboratories - Approval) Principles 2002, I undertake to take all reasonable measures to ensure that the service is rendered under the supervision of an appropriate person as required by those Principles as in force from time to time.

2.3       I acknowledge to the best of my ability that any act or omission by a person, when acting with my authority, whether express or implied, that would, had it been done by me, have resulted in a breach of this undertaking, constitutes a breach of this undertaking by me.

2.4       Parts 2.1(i) to 2.1(vi) and 2.2 of this undertaking do not apply where a laboratory is limited to services (and associated equipment for those services) as detailed in Schedule 3.

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