News & Media

Since 2024, every doctor in Australia needs to be enrolled with a recognised “CPD home” to meet registration requirements. The idea is that instead of you trying to juggle certificates and spreadsheets, one accredited provider helps you plan, track and show your CPD in a consistent way. In practice, this means you need to: Join an AMC accredited CPD home that fits your practice Complete at least 50 hours (not points) of CPD each calendar year Spread those hours across specifi

If Your Provider Number is Being Used, You Need to Read This! When NASOG hosted our recent Practice Managers Conference, I expected discussions about workforce shortages, cyber security, AI, industrial relations and the endless challenges of running modern medical practices. There was one topic that kept resurfacing throughout the day: Assignment of Medicare Benefit. At first, I was surprised. Surely this was just another administrative Medicare issue? But as the conversation

Behind every specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist is a practice manager quietly holding together one of the most complex regulatory environments in Australian healthcare. Without them, many specialist O&G practices simply would not survive. The stability of private specialist practice is not just a business issue; it is a determinant of whether women can access timely, specialist‑led care across Australia. This is about the entire ecosystem of specialist obstetrics and g

The Melbourne Insight Series has moved to Saturday 20 June 2026 to include an important policy discussion with Ms Georgie Crozier MP, Victorian Shadow Minister for Health. Ms Crozier will address the topic “What Role Does Private O&G Have in Victoria’s Healthcare Future?” This is a timely and highly relevant discussion for specialist O&Gs, particularly as pressures on access, affordability and system capacity continue to shape both public and private women’s healthcare. This

Be in the Conversation. Register for the Insight Series in Sydney on 2 May. The debate about specialist fees has moved from background noise to a clear federal health priority. Reporting in the Sydney Morning Herald today makes it plain: specialist out-of-pocket costs are now firmly in the sights of the Federal Government. The issue is being framed publicly as “out of control” fees, poor transparency and rising patient costs. A federal inquiry is underway and specialists cann

A new session addressing the compliant use of MBS Item 35641 for severe endometriosis has been added to the Insight Series event in Sydney on 2 May. With this surgery in the spotlight and discussion around specialist billing continuing to intensify, there have been rumours circulating about the use of the item number. NASOG sought confirmation from Medicare on the use of 35641 which has now been received. The Insight Series discussion is an opportunity to understand the use o

The answer is, you are both and the secret to success is alignment. When specialists and practice managers work together with clarity, shared purpose and a strong understanding of how their practices function, they create sustainable, high-performing systems of care. That is exactly what NASOG is building with the inaugural O&G Practice Managers Conference in Sydney on 1-2 May. Held in conjunction with the next Insight Series event , this is not a meeting about administratio

NASOG welcomes the perspectives of its specialist members and encourages the profession to join national conversations around women’s healthcare. This week’s guest author is Dr Kellie Tathem, NASOG QLD Councillor & Executive Committee Member. Vaginal examination: a woman’s autonomy vs the needs of the health system A Supreme Court of Victoria ruling this week, which awarded damages to a mother who was coerced into a vaginal examination during labour, warrants a deeper convers

If you are an obstetrician or gynaecologist in Australia, there has never been a more important time to decide where your professional home sits. That decision now carries a practical benefit: NASOG has launched a Life Membership option that includes ongoing access to AMA CPD Home , giving specialists a long-term CPD solution through their professional association. And in Brisbane last week, the future started to take shape. The first Insight Series event on 21 March brought

Something curious has happened in women’s health over the past two decades. Emergency contraception moved into pharmacies in the name of “access”. Sexual health consultations quietly disappeared from the process. At the same time Australia began recording steady increases in sexually transmitted infections — gonorrhoea climbing sharply, infectious syphilis rising several-fold and chlamydia remaining stubbornly common. Of course correlation does not equal causation. But when t

Happy International Women’s Day! Today I want to talk about gender. And about medicine. Because in the hospital, my pronoun is doctor. International Women’s Day is often framed as a celebration of women’s progress. And it absolutely should be. But for me, the story of gender has never been about division. It has been about people. I grew up with an unshakeable belief in my own worth because of the people around me. My father loved me unconditionally and believed completely in

This is a provocative statement. It captures what seems to be a growing sentiment, that private healthcare is unnecessary, inequitable or driven by profit rather than patient care. But before we accept that narrative, we need to examine the economics. In late 2025, NASOG surveyed private obstetricians across Australia, with approximately 50% of those in practice responding. The results showed that the cost of administering a full-time private obstetric practice in Australia a

Recent media coverage concerning pelvic pain and endometriosis care has been confronting for many in our profession. These stories are distressing for patients and families, they inevitably shape who presents to our consulting rooms and how they present: often with uncertainty, fear and, at times, diminished trust before a clinical conversation has even begun. This statement is directed to colleagues practising in this space. Chronic pelvic pain is complex. It does not lend i

This week, Health Minister Mark Butler has announced that he is introducing legislation to mandate disclosure of specialists’ out-of-pocket fees, arguing that specialists declined to publish voluntarily and patients should be able to compare costs between clinicians. Transparency that helps patients make informed choices is a legitimate policy objective. But if the policy conversation stops at “which specialist is cheaper up the road”, it will miss the more important question

NASOG has a new approach to events in 2026. The NASOG Insight Series is a deliberately interactive, high-engagement series that brings together contemporary clinical updates and practical policy intelligence; the forces that shape women’s health care and specialist practice. Each Insight Series event is designed to maximise participation and genuine professional connection. Most events are scheduled for a Saturday afternoon/evening and you will spend the time in a curated env

Someone recently asked me, in the wake of the birth trauma enquiry and a series of confronting newspaper headlines, “Are obstetricians and gynaecologist just sociopaths?” I was surprised by how defensive I felt in that moment. Not because the question was malicious, but because it reflected a growing and deeply uncomfortable misunderstanding of what this specialty actually demands of the people who practise within it. The question wasn’t really about personality disorders. It

As 2025 draws to a close, I want to send my warm appreciation to every NASOG member and my colleagues across the obstetrics and gynaecology community in Australia. This year has brought ongoing pressures, powerful evidence, national conversation and a renewed sense of direction for our specialty. One of the most significant developments in O&G this year was the publication of the Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes and Health System Costs in Standard Public Maternity Care Compared

The National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NASOG) is pleased to announce the election of its new leadership team at the 2025 Annual General Meeting, with Dr Elizabeth Jackson appointed as President. Dr Jackson brings deep clinical experience, a strong commitment to private practice and a clear determination to strengthen NASOG’s voice at a time when specialist O&G in Australia needs decisive, evidence-based advocacy. Joining Dr Jackson on the g

If you are in Sydney on 24 November, don't miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues for an evening of insights and discussion at NASOG’s Update Dinner. 📅 Date: Monday 24 November 2025 🕠 Time: 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm 📍 Venue: The Napier Room, Kimpton Margot Hotel, 339 Pitt Street, Sydney For those who participated in the recent survey on billings, NASOG Vice President, Dr Elizabeth Jackson , will talk more on the Collective Bargaining Class Exemption for O&Gs . What

If you missed our MBS Billing and Compliance Workshop on 5 April 2025, it is now available for online purchase and on-demand viewing through the NASOG website. This workshop was designed specifically for specialist obstetricians and gynaecologists navigating the complexities of Medicare. Delivered with clear insights and direction by Business for Doctors and the Department of Health and Aged Care’s Medicare Benefits Integrity team , the sessions cover: Health Provider Comp