EDITORIAL: Queensland doctors must care for more than just money

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EDITORIAL CourierMail: Queensland doctors must care for more than just money #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors

THERE is little doubt that doctors who work in public hospitals have a great deal of goodwill in the community, which is why most Queenslanders have given specialists and other surgeons working in our state system the benefit of the doubt over the pay dispute.

However, the longer this workplace argument has gone on, the weaker the position of the medical professionals looks and the less sympathy there is from the public.

It should be remembered that doctors prompted the inquiry, which led to the reforms the State Government has negotiated. Rightly annoyed and outraged at the obvious gaming of the system by some of their colleagues, a few doctors complained to the authorities and the Government referred it all to the Crime and Misconduct Commission.

The CMC’s report went to the Auditor-General, who found some appalling examples of doctors abusing the system. Doctors were said to have extended their salaries, which are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, by factors of two, three and four by a variety of means.

It included “treating” private patients in public hospitals and pocketing an allowance that should never have been paid – due to the absence of any actual private patients. Where private patients did exist, the doctors neglected to pay for the use of the public facilities and, if they did these consultations during the hours they were supposed to be working for the public system, they were paid twice. The auditor also found many doctors arrived late and claimed overtime for the hours worked past their rostered shift, even if they did no more than their scheduled hours.

The Auditor-General did find it hard to get full details on all allegations because of Queensland Health’s shoddy bookkeeping and poor processes, but it is quite apparent from the report that there were questionable practices and examples of clear abuse of the system.

No government could stand by and let a system so open to rorting stand. This is not some small amount of money being talked about – the auditor said the private/public arrangements being abused are an $800 million-plus part of the health budget.

There remains a compelling case for more clarity in how doctors are rostered, how they perform and what oversight is exercised. For the doctors to say the Government is taking away fair workplace conditions is just special pleading to protect arrangements that were used to line the pockets of already well-paid medical professionals.

Using tactics usually seen on building sites, doctors have held rallies and threatened walkouts. Showing a unity of purpose most ACTU affiliates would envy, the doctors have repeated their ultimatum to resign from the public system if the Government does not back down and ditch its new contract system – something negotiated over more than a year. This is despite a comprehensive and reasonable set of compromises put to the Australian Medical Association and its members this week by Health Minister Lawrence Springborg.

Mr Springborg had agreed to put in protections against doctors being treated unfairly, have a dispute resolution process with teeth, and give doctors a say in setting performance benchmarks. There does not seem to be any real objection to these safeguards, which bolsters the argument of Premier Campbell Newman that this is all about money and has little if anything to do with patient care.

The AMA, the leadership of which sounded like they were ready to negotiate in good faith, does not appear to have control of the situation any more, with doctors being swayed by a militant core who regard the status quo as the only way to have peace.

Mr Newman says these doctors should not underestimate the resolve of the Government – something the doctors should have taken into account.

It will cause problems if doctors carry out their threats but these can be overcome in time. Other doctors will be found and the current group will have done little but ostracise themselves and poison the existing goodwill between medical officers and the public.

TIME TO JOIN THE REAL WORLD

PREMIER Campbell Newman copped plenty of criticism this year when he suggested some of his critics on the bench and in legal firms were not mixing with the real world when considering the Government’s tough anti-criminal motorcycle gang laws.

Such a view was given weight this week when Queensland Magistrate Bernadette Callaghan dismissed community campaigns against alcohol-fuelled street violence as something concocted by newspaper editors.

Despite clear examples of many deaths resulting from wanton acts of criminal violence, Ms Callaghan said such instances were not as common as domestic violence, which had not been the subject of newspaper campaigns.

The One Punch Can Kill campaign Ms Callaghan refers to has the backing of the Queensland, NSW and Federal governments – as well as being supported by victims’ groups and medical specialists. To scoff at such an important, and potentially life-saving, community effort is breathtaking.

Ms Callaghan should think again.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Christopher Dore, corner of Mayne & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND. (ACN 009 778). A full list of our editors and journalists, with contact details, is available at couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/ourstaff