The Code of Conduct sets out the expectations of parties participating in the Allocation and Placement Service (APS). The Code sets out the minimum acceptable level of conduct for both health services and candidates. Such a Code is designed to overcome practices deemed to be unsuitable and to ensure the highest ethical and professional standards by all parties. It deals with matters that are subject to judgement and interpretation and are difficult to state absolutely. Application to use the APS by a candidate or a health service implies acknowledgment of this Code of Conduct and agreement to abide strictly by it.

The instructions to candidates and health services as set out in specific Match Rules for each Match, these are to be read as forming part of this Code.

Definitions

Health Service Representative – refers to any health service employee involved in the process of selection and recruitment of candidates who have created PMCV accounts in the APS.

Candidate – refers to any person who has created a PMCV account and applied to participate in any of the PMCV administered Matches.

1.    The preferences of participating candidates and health services are personal and confidential.

No attempt, direct or indirect, should be made by either party to discover the preference rankings of the other before or after Matching takes place. Under no circumstances can a candidate or health service representative request information about their intended ranking.

Candidates and Health Service representatives may express a high degree of interest in the other but must not make any statement, oral or written, which signifies a commitment to offer or change a rank. 

Candidates shall not be asked by a Health Service to identify a preference order or offer to change a preference order. A Health Service representative may not state or indicate that a candidate will be ranked in their quota.

Examples of practices deemed to be unsuitable and against the Code include:

• A candidate pressured by a Health Service representative to reveal the ranking of the Health Service in the Candidate’s Preference list.
• A candidate pressured to sign an offer/contract prior to the Match.
• Health service representatives must not make any statement, oral or written, which signifies a commitment to an offer or advise to change a ranking. 
• Health service representative may not state or indicate that a candidate will be ranked within their quota. 
• Health service representatives and candidates should not be in communication with each other after the informal/formal selection process. 
• If a Health Service is in the practice of sending out letters or surveys for the purpose of gathering feedback following an interview, such letters/surveys shall not contain any promises or implied statements, which suggest a particular ranking (including any indication that a candidate will not be ranked) or that an offer will be made. Such letters are not binding and are not part of the formal Matching process. This communication could only occur once Late Vacancy processes are open to the Health Service.
• Where applicable, non-PMCV related advertising/recruitment or seeking feedback from participants for following year positions is not permitted during the time period between Match key Dates. 

2.    Participation in this service signifies that both candidates and Health Services agree to abide by the Matching results.

Candidates must accept the position to which they have been matched unless they obtain a written release from the Health Service concerned. The circumstances under which a release may be contemplated must normally be exceptional and related to hardship. For example, a seriously ill family member or personal health issue requiring relocation.

Health Services cannot consider an application to a match position by a candidate who has been matched to another Health Service in the Match unless they have received a copy of the candidate’s release. A copy of the release must also be forwarded to the PMCV Workforce Team.

Details of matched candidates will be available to Health Services to verify whether particular candidates have been matched.  This information is strictly private and confidential and should only be used for this verification purpose.

A candidate should not be released from a matched position in order to accept a position elsewhere, unless exceptional circumstances have been satisfied.

Health Services must accept the candidates who have been matched to their positions.

Candidates must comply with all reasonable recruitment processes at the Health Service to which they have accepted a matched position. Failure to comply may result in a Health Service withdrawing their offer. No further offers will be made to candidates who failed to comply with Health Service requirements.

Candidates who receive an offer to a Match position in any unmatched/late vacancy processes are bound to the same regulations and code of conduct as candidates who were matched via the APS matching algorithm.

Examples of practices deemed to be unsuitable and against the code of conduct include:

• A Health Service making an offer to a matched candidate on condition that the candidate get a release from their matched Health Service.
• A matched candidate applying for an unmatched position/vacant position at a Health Service.
• Please note: In recognition of the different timing of offers by other states/jurisdictions, in relevant Matches, a candidate can decline a Victorian allocation to accept an interstate offer which is their higher preference. There will only ever be on Victorian allocation, unless there are specified exceptions as detailed in the applicable Match Rules.

Withdrawal from the Allocation and Placement Service

A candidate may withdraw from the APS via their Match online account; notice regarding withdrawals must be in accordance with the approved Key Dates. Withdrawals should be in writing and will not be accepted verbally. 

3.    Candidate applications to Health Services outside the Allocation and Placement Service

A candidate may submit a preference list to the Matching Service and at the same time submit an application for positions outside the Match (e.g. interstate, private hospitals, or overseas). However, if notification of successful offer has been received from the non-match position and this is a candidate’s higher priority, then the candidate is to withdraw from the PMCV matching process prior to the closing date for withdrawal.

The names of candidates who have accepted a position that was exempted from the HMO, BPT or RGA match prior to the running of the match will be provided to the APS manager. These candidates are not eligible to enter the APS and if they have registered in Match, they will be removed. Their names will also be added to the matched candidates list, and they will not be eligible for offers to vacant match positions.

Remaining in the Match after the final closing date signifies agreement to abide by the regulations of the APS, as specified in section 2 of the regulations, the results of the match are binding.

4.    Discretion to accept and exclude from the Allocation and Placement Service

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Code of Conduct, the PMCV may, in its absolute discretion, refuse to accept and include in the Match in any year:

a) any candidate who:

• at any previous time has failed for any reason to accept an appointment to a Health Service with which the candidate was matched by the Service or who resigned from his or her employment with the Health Service OR
• who has been lawfully dismissed by the Health Service from his or her appointment with or without notice for serious misconduct OR
• failed to comply with the terms of the employment contract.

and

b) any Health Service which at any previous time has failed for any reason to appoint a candidate with whom the Health Service was matched by the Service or has dismissed an appointee matched by the Service without reasonable cause.

5.    Results of the Match

The results of the Match will be available from the PMCV APS. Both Health Services and candidates will receive information regarding their own personal matching results. Login access is required to obtain matching results.

In the case of a candidate who is unmatched, the PMCV may publish a list of unmatched candidates, their name and contact information, which shall be accessible to the nominated health service administrator of the Health Service with ongoing vacancies.

In the case of a Health Service which has unmatched posts, the PMCV may publish a list of unmatched posts, and contact information for unmatched candidate applications.

6.    Removal from a Match

Candidates may apply to enter the APS and submit their list of Health Service preferences but participation in the match is subject to a candidate satisfying the eligibility criteria and approval of PMCV.

PMCV may remove any candidate from the Match, who displays unprofessional behaviour toward a PMCV employee, referees or Health Service employees. 

PMCV may remove any candidate from a Match if their qualifications or other supporting documents do not substantiate the selected eligibility criteria.  The PMCV shall notify all candidates of this decision and give them the opportunity to respond.

Where there are reasonable and probable grounds that the credentials or supporting documents are not authentic or that the candidate has submitted falsified documentation, the PMCV will give the candidate the opportunity to respond. If the investigation regarding the verification of credentials is not in the candidate’s favour the candidate will be removed from the match.

7.    Key Dates

Annually Key Dates are published for each Match by PMCV following consultation with the relevant parties.  It is the candidate’s and Health Services responsibility to meet all the deadlines published in the Key Dates document.  The PMCV will not be held liable if any candidate or Health Service does not meet the deadlines. See section 8 below.

8.    Availability of Match Site

PMCV does not guarantee that the APS website will be available at all times and both candidates and Health Services are advised to complete all requirements in a timely manner.

Updated: February 2024