Medical practitioners seeking to become medical referees must be registered as a practising medical practitioner with AHPRA and have practised medicine for at least 5 years. These years do not need to be consecutive. A medical practitioner can apply online (external site).
All fields on the form must be completed and relevant attachments uploaded, as partial applications will not be accepted. Medical practitioners are required to attach the following documents to their application:
- A signed 1-page application letter addressed to the Governor providing the reason for their application
- Current curriculum vitae (CV)
- Evidence of AHPRA registration
Successful applicants are notified of their appointment in writing via either the email address provided (preferred) or postal address and are provided with a copy of the Cremations Act 1929 (the Act; external site), and the Cremations Regulations 1954 (external site).
WA Health retains a list of all active medical referees (PDF 72KB). A medical referee not wishing to have their details on the publicly available list should contact the Department of Health.
Appointed medical referees should immediately notify the Office of the Chief Health Officer of any changes, including changes in registration status, new practice address/contact details, or retirement. A medical referee who is no longer a practising medical practitioner may have their appointment cancelled.
The appointment is dependent on the applicants’ willingness to continue the role, and their ongoing eligibility under the Act. A medical referee who ceases to provide this service should inform the Office of the Chief Health Officer as soon as possible so that their appointment can be cancelled, and the medical referee list updated.
A medical referee should be available during working hours to process applications. For long periods of absence (e.g., holidays), alternative cover should be arranged with another medical referee. If this is not possible, then the usual funeral directors should be advised of this absence.