#AMA urges Premier Campbell Newman to fix #contracts#dispute before doctors quit #Qld#public#health system
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says Queensland Premier Campbell Newman needs to step in to sort out a dispute over new contracts for senior doctors.
It says the contracts contain unfair provisions and remove job security.
AMA national president Steve Hambleton says doctors will quit the public health system in Queensland if their concerns are not addressed.
“The AMA wants to meet with the Premier and make sure we can get these issues sorted,” he said.
“We both agree that we want to make hospitals more efficient.
“We both agree we want to make sure the people of Queensland get treated.
“We both agree that we want to make sure that we can recruit and retain and keep doctors in Queensland.
“We need to fix these unfair contracts and if we don’t, we’re going to see the opposite.”
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg says the Government is happy to meet with Dr Hambleton.
“But we’re not going to plough over old ground, particularly in this case when the AMA federal president has not been involved in the negotiations,” he said.
“[Dr Hambleton] has only come in on this issue in the last week or so and the state branch of the AMA has done the negotiations and has done so for the previous few months.”
Mr Springborg has accused unions of “going overboard” in the row about new individual workplace contracts for doctors.
He says other doctors have told him they are happy to sign.
“I just ask clinicians out there, doctors, to actually have a look at what’s on offer, not all the hysteria,” he said.
However, Dr Chris Turnbull, who has worked for Queensland Health for 14 years, says he will rather quit than sign one of the new contracts.
“I personally couldn’t sign this contract,” he said.
“I couldn’t give up all my basic rights and just hand the Government a blank cheque to do whatever they want to me.”
Source: ABC NEWS