Proposal to curb visas for foreign doctors

The federal health department wants to pull the plug on new work visas to foreign-trained doctors but the Turnbull government is yet to back the plan.

The department is pushing to scrap 41 jobs from the skilled occupation list - including GPs, surgeons and anaesthetists, The Australian reports citing documents released under freedom of information.

The move would be counterbalanced by increasing numbers of local medical graduates who could fill vacancies, especially in regional areas.