Doctors vow to fight State Government on employment contracts for as long as it takes #keepourdoctors #qldpol #smoqld
MICHAEL and Louisa Saunders know they could be without a job at the end of next month, but it’s a sacrifice they’re willing to make in their fight against the State Government.
The emergency department consultants say the public, statewide stoush over the rollout of new employment contracts will have a significant impact on patients and, despite Government “spin doctoring”, had nothing to do with money.
The Saunders joined about 200 other senior specialists and their families outside the Gold Coast University Hospital yesterday at a protest against the contracts.
Other senior specialists at the rally said they had the backing of patients, who understood “they would be the ones most badly affected”.
“It’s going to be a disaster,” said Mrs Saunders, joined by her children Jessica, 4, and Zachary, 22 months.
“We’re not going to be able to get patients into the ED, we’re not going to be able to get them into hospital and we’re not going to get them into essential services,” Mrs Saunders said.
“The waiting lists are going to blow out and we’re going to see people in pain because they can’t get a hip replacement done.”
Resources are already starting to lag on the Coast because of the unrest, with two orthopedic surgeons resigning this month, specialists cutting back hours and visiting medical officers leaving the service to focus on private work.
Top-level negotiations this week are now crucial in order to reach an amicable resolution before the April 30 deadline to sign.
Keep Our Doctors campaign spokesman Dr David Spain, an emergency physician on the Coast, said doctors could not sign what was an unfair contract.
“Money has never been on the negotiating table,” Dr Spain said. “It’s all been about terms and conditions. We want things like safer working hours, safe fatigue provisions. We need to be able to stand up for our patients without having to worry about whether it will cost us our jobs.”
Dr Spain said the contracts stripped unfair dismissal protections, meaning doctors who spoke out against their employer for the benefit of their patients could be dismissed at any time for any reason.
Emergency doctors from across the state held a crisis meeting last night. Queensland Health director-general Ian Maynard said meetings would continue tomorrow.