ACTING Queensland premier Jeff Seeney has cast doubt on how many doctors were actually present at a vote of no confidence in the state’s health minister over new contracts. #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
More than 900 people packed the Pineapple Hotel last night and with a show of hands, passed a motion of no confidence in Health Minister Lawrence Springborg.
Mr Seeney today warned the Opposition to be cautious in citing meeting numbers, suggesting unions and lobby groups had helped push the protest meeting’s agenda.
“I think the Leader of the Opposition needs to be cautious about misleading the house, whether all of those people were actually doctors,’’ he told parliament.
“I think there was quite a number of union activists involved.’’
Overnight it was reported: HUNDREDS of doctors who met in Brisbane have unanimously supported a “no confidence” motion in Health Minister Lawrence Springborg over his proposed public hospital contracts.
The doctors met at Brisbane’s Pineapple Hotel to discuss the contracts. About 750 people crammed inside while an unknown number were left queuing outside.
Mr Springborg was invited to attend the meeting but did not appear.
He confirmed he was invited but did not go as it was “highly emotional”.
“In highly emotionally-charged environments it’s virtually impossible to get all of the information across,” he told 612 ABC Radio.
“Listening is a two way thing, I’m more than happy to listen but on the other hand there hasn’t been a lot of listening to the things that have actually been achieved.”
He said once the controversial contracts came out – expected to be this week and next – doctors would see their concerns were unfounded.
“Most of what is being said is blatantly wrong that is unnecessarily alarmist,” Mr Springborg said.
“I can understand why it’s alarming doctors…. But when the contracts come out this week and next week doctors will see much of their concerns will be addressed.”
The meeting has called for the Newman Government to restart negotiations over the contracts with doctor unions and the Australian Medical Association.
Doctors travelled from Cairns, Townsville, Mount Isa, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast to attend the meeting.
The meeting has been told 1500 doctors had voted against the contracts at hospital meetings throughout the state.
Gold Coast paediatric geneticist Stephen Withers described the contracts as draconian and one-sided, with all benefits to the employers and a loss of basic employment rights for the employee.
“The net result of this … will be a failure to retain the great public doctors in Queensland and a complete inability to recruit any quality doctors in the future,” he said.
“This is about Queensland and Queenslanders. Their rights to access the best healthcare today, tomorrow and the years to come.
“Their right to have well staffed public hospitals with world class specialists. We are fighting for Queenslanders and we will fight with every breath to ensure we have a sustainable well staffed health system whose foundation is based on patient care. This is what we are fighting for.”
Twins David and Peter Bissell, who have both had double lung transplants, told the meeting they were scared their specialists at The Prince Charles Hospital would leave Queensland if the contracts were not revised.
“We’re the voice for the people with chronic illnesses that rely on these specialty services that are set up in Queensland Health,’’ Peter said. “
“We deserve better. We deserve quality care. The doctors have pulled us out of the fire, not once, not twice, but heaps of times and we need to make it known, and get everybody in Queensland to stand up and come on board and tell this government that they need to
come back to the table so we give these doctors what they deserve.
“We’re it’s at at this stage is the worse we’ve ever seen in 25 years history of adult care at the Prince Charles Hospital.’’
The twins, who have an entertainment business as Peebo and Dagwood clowns, will meet with Mr Springboard to discuss their concerns tomorrow at 11am.
“If we don’t have these doctors to treat us down the track, we don’t have our lives,’’ David said.
Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation president Tony Sara said the union’s federal executive had voted this week to unconditionally support any “industrial or mass resignation’’
strategy Queensland specialists wished to pursue in opposition to the proposed individual contracts.
“The medical profession has had war declared on it by Lawrence Springborg,’’ Dr Sara said. “We will not stand by and see patient care and the medical profession and teaching hospitals destroyed by this government.’’