Frequently Asked Questions - Medical Questions

Client presents with medical conditions

If a client presents with tattoos or body piercing, should I undertake blood testing?

If the client is from a country where a low background prevalence of Hep B/C exists, and/or where the procedures were likely to be undertaken in an aseptic manner, further testing is not advised.

However, if the procedures were unlikely to have been performed aseptically or if background prevalence of Hepatitis B/C is relatively high then additional serology is indicated.

Please refer to page 43, Questions 21-22, of the Panel Instructions for more information on Hepatitis B surface antigen and Hepatitis C antibody testing.
See: Instructions for Panel Doctors

A client presents with diabetes and/or hypertension. Is a specialist report required?

Clients with stable, uncomplicated medical conditions (such as diabetes or hypertension) do not require specialist reports. If you request additional tests, for example, serum creatinine, please include the result with the medical.

Clients who have unstable disease and/or significant end-organ complications should be referred for specialist assessment, as per standard clinical practice.

Please refer to page 55, of Attachment 4: Guidelines for Specific Medical Conditions, of the Panel Instructions for information on grading conditions such as hypertension.
See: Instructions for Panel Doctors

I have discovered an acute medical issue in the course of examining an applicant. What should I do?

Duty of care exists between doctors and immigration medical examinees as it does with any other patient. You should address the patient's medical situation either directly or by referral to an appropriate specialist as you would normally in clinical practice. Once the acute issue has been resolved, appropriate documentation can be forwarded with the client's medicals to the department.

Please refer to page 21 of the Panel Instructions for further detail.
See: Instructions for Panel Doctors

Deferred opinion request from Global Health

The deferred opinion request from Global Health is unclear, or the additional investigations requested are unavailable. What should I do?

Please email Global Health with the applicant's details (full name and date of birth) and explain the issues arising from the request.

The Senior Medical Officer on duty will promptly answer queries from panel members relating to medical issues.
See: Contact Us

'A' and 'B' ratings

What do the 'A' and 'B' ratings on the Form 26 mean?

A rating of 'A' should be given where there are no findings of clinical significance.

A rating of 'B' should be given in cases where a significant medical matter arises, when abnormal findings are present, or if you have reservations about an applicant's fitness, notwithstanding the absence of abnormal findings. Make sure you include any relevant details, particularly highlighting current status and stability of the problem.

Remember: The rating is not about whether you believe an applicant should have a visa or whether you think they meet the health criteria. The rating is simply an indicator of the presence of a medical condition or not and means the forms can be processed efficiently. If a medical condition of current or future concern exists, you should rate the file 'B'.

Please refer to page 44, Question 24, of the Panel Instructions for further detail.
See: Instructions for Panel Doctors

What are some examples of 'A-grade' findings of no clinical significance?

Please refer to page 58, Attachment 5: Examples of Insignificant Medical Conditions, of the current Panel Instructions for this information.
See: Instructions for Panel Doctors

Children

What does the department require in the developmental assessment of children?

The department seeks detailed information of developmental status in clients for adoption, or where specific or global developmental delay is suspected. Please consider referral to professionals experienced at testing psychomotor development in a range of age groups. The tests used should be formalised.

Where specialist services are not available please attempt to provide as much information as possible with specific comment on cognitive, social, gross and fine motor, and language and communication function.

Local growth charts should be used wherever possible. A large range of population-specific growth charts are available.
See: www.adoptmed.org/topics/growth-charts

For further information on developmental assessment of children, please refer to page 35, Question 9 and page 51, Attachment 2: Child development milestone guidelines, of the Panel Instructions.
See: Instructions for Panel Doctors