Our doctors risk jobs to take a stand #qldpol #keepourdoctors
LONG-SERVING doctors including anaesthetists, an emergency surgeon, a respiratory physician and registrars at Nambour General Hospital are united in their opposition to proposed changes to their work arrangements.
In an extraordinary measure, the senior doctors – some of whom have worked at the hospital for more than 20 years – took time out of their lunch break yesterday to be photographed by the Daily in a move that could cost them their jobs.
They say many more doctors – believed to be all of the 200-plus Senior Medical Officers employed in the Sunshine Coast Health Service – are opposed to the State Government’s “one-sided approach” which is putting the entire health service at “huge risk”.
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said he will not reconsider the government’s position on individual contracts.
The doctors have said they also will not budge and will not be signing the contracts.
One anaesthetist warned the result will be even longer waiting times in emergency departments on the Sunshine Coast, a dramatic escalation in the cost of health care and a significant reduction in the ability to do elective surgery.
Another anaesthetist said the situation would also have a huge impact on the ability to employ new staff at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
Mr Springborg said the current system was “badly flawed as evidenced by the report of the Auditor General”.
It suggested more than $800 million was paid by Queensland Health without accounting for actual work being done.
Doctors question the missing $800m and say the very small minority of doctors who abuse the system should be investigated, but the majority are doing their job.
Source: Sunshine Coast Daily