AMAQ warns against putting senior doctors on individual contracts #keepourdoctors
The Australian Medical Association of Queensland (AMAQ) says the State Government’s moves to put senior doctors on individual contracts will make working in rural areas unappealing.
The AMAQ says most of the state’s doctors believe new contracts will expose them to unsafe working arrangements and put them at risk of being sacked if they speak up.
The AMAQ president-elect, Hervey Bay-based Dr Shaun Rudd, says it will deter doctors from working in the bush.
“One of the problems with working in the regional areas is that part of the contract is we will deploy anywhere between within the hospital and health region – which isn’t so bad if you live in Brisbane but if you live out in the regions that might mean a move of a couple of hundred kilometres and families with kids and schooling … to have that hanging over your head is not very pleasant,” he said.
“There’s a distinct possibility with these contracts we will have trouble getting people – so if you have trouble getting people you end up [with] people closer to the bottom of the barrel sometimes and people not being appropriately trained.
Local health boards are currently negotiating contracts with doctors.
The Government says the contracts will provide doctors with better working conditions and reward them for working in public hospitals.
Source: ABC News