ACC is seeking medical practitioners to provide Vocational Medical Services for our clients
ACC’s Vocational Medical Services (VMS) contract is an opportunity to provide clinical leadership, timely and responsive clinical advice, and support to a client through their vocational rehabilitation journey. ACC must appoint appropriate VMS assessors in accordance with the Accident Compensation Act 2001 and VMS Service Schedule.
The contract includes three medical assessment services and one advisory service.
These services are:
Vocational Medical Advice (VMA): This service enables you as a medical assessor, to provide advice on the best approach for achieving a return-to-work outcome for a client at any point within their rehabilitation journey.
Vocational Rehabilitation Review (VRR): This service enables you to provide your expert view and recommendation on fitness for work certification and/or the ability of a client to participate in a vocational rehabilitation programme at any point in the client’s rehabilitation.
Initial Medical Assessment (IMA): This service is conducted through a thorough medical assessment that clarifies the diagnosis and barriers to rehabilitation, identifies a client’s functional restrictions impacting on participation in work activities, identifies appropriate treatment and rehabilitation and determines which work types are medically sustainable or likely to be at the time of the IMA, in the future or are not sustainable. The requirement of this service is outlined in Accident Compensation Act 2001.
Vocational Independence Medical Assessment (VIMA): Considers the Client’s injury as to whether they have the capacity to undertake certain work types, along with the completeness and outcome of any treatment and/or rehabilitation previously recommended and provided. An expert opinion will be provided with rationale regarding the work types identified in the Vocational Independence Occupational Assessment regarding whether the Client has Vocational Independence. The requirement of this service is outlined in Accident Compensation Act 2001.
To work on this contract, you need to be a Medical Practitioner registered with the New Zealand Medical Council with a current Annual Practicing Certificate that includes Vocational Registration in either:
- General Practice: completed vocational training through The Royal NZ College of GPs and awarded the Fellowship of the RNZCGP (FRNZCGP) and hold either a Diploma in Industrial Health (DIH) or a Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Medicine (PG Dip Occ Med) or equivalent.
- Occupational Medicine.
- Rehabilitation Medicine: completed vocational training through Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) and awarded the Fellowship of the AFRM (FAFRM).
If you’re an experienced medical practitioner who would like to learn more about becoming an VMS assessor, we welcome your enquiries.
Email us at MedicalAssessments@acc.co.nz.