Queensland Health – Doctor contracts clarified #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
Queensland health officials met with senior doctors’ representatives overnight to further discuss the transition to individual contracts.
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg, Assistant Minister Dr Chris Davis, Director-General Ian Maynard and Chief Human Resources Officer Lyn Rowland sat down with AMA President Dr Steve Hambleton, incoming AMAQ President Dr Shaun Rudd, and Professor John Fraser at Parliament House.
The group agreed that while the contract negotiation period was over, further discussion on the implementation of six key areas would be undertaken.
Mr Ian Maynard described the meeting as ‘constructive’ and represented a ‘line in the sand.’
“We all agreed that all sides could benefit from further discussion and a shared understanding of six aspects of the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) contract.”
The aspects to be discussed from Monday 10 March are:
- -arbitrary dismissal
- -my ability, as Director-General, to alter contracts
- -rostering and fatigue
- -transfers
- -dispute arbitration
- -the ‘no disadvantage’ clause.
“The positive nature of last night’s meeting gave me confidence that we will be able to deliver the protections and reassurances that our SMOs are seeking,” Mr Maynard said.
In a statement released overnight, Mr Springborg said the key issues needed to be fully understood before the contracts came into effect on July 7.
“This dialogue is about building a relationship with our Senior Medical Officers. We have agreed that as we work to implement the contracts, emergent issues, including any with perverse implications, will be addressed through our new dialogue,” he said.
On this page yesterday some of the misconceptions about the contracts themselves and the way they will be implemented were addressed, as well as comments from Mr Maynard’s address to staff:
Recent weeks have been challenging for many staff as the senior doctors they work alongside begin the move toward individual employment contracts.
I would like to thank you all for your ongoing commitment during this time to providing the best possible health care for the people of Queensland.
Chief Executives, Chairs and other senior staff are looking forward to beginning individual discussions with every senior doctor to agree on contracts which suit the doctor’s needs and the needs of our patients.
These discussions, alongside local policies and directives, will help resolve matters which have been raised around fatigue, shift work and employee rights and movements.
It is important to note:
- -The contracts are perpetual and not time limited
- -The contracts allow doctors to receive six months’ salary, instead of the current three months if they are terminated
- -The contracts ensure doctors can no longer be transferred anywhere in the State without consultation, as is presently the case
- -The contracts provide unlimited damages for unfair dismissal through the Supreme Court instead of the current maximum six months’ salary through the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
- -The contracts allow senior doctors to directly engage and negotiate with their actual employer – the local Hospital and Health Services (and Board), instead of a centralised Brisbane bureaucracy under the failed current system
- -The contracts can only be varied subject to clinician involvement through an advisory committee including the Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) President.
Dr Ross Cartmill, Visiting Medical Officers’ long-time industrial representative, has delivered his report which endorses the VMOs’ new contract and celebrated advances which included a 2.2 per cent pay rise, clinical support, allowances, and professional development provisions.
Source: Qld Health