Contracts are the potential loss of a doctor’s ability to protect and treat you and your families, with the best care possible. #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
Hi friends. I am an Anaesthetic registrar at the Royal Brisbane & Women’s hospital.
Along with my colleagues I am trying to raise public awareness of the current dispute between the government and public SMO’s – we are now in a state of scary uncertainty regarding the future of Queensland’s public health system and I urge you to please take a few minutes to become better informed about what is happening.
Here are just a few facts regarding the statements the Newman government is saying:
Doctor’s earn $400 000 working 40 hours a week.
FACT: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/medical/docs/payrates_2012.pdf – this is what we get paid. We get paid allowances for overtime and fatigue (inadequate break between shifts) – this is to ensure patient safety so you don’t have tired doctors.
Doctors have rorted the state of $800 Million
FACT: Queensland was forced to increase the pay of senior doctors after the Bundaberg/Patel scandal because the state could not attract properly qualified Australian doctors to the public hospitals. Why? Because Queensland paid 25% less than other states. Queensland increased the pay to catch up to the other states and it has worked, rebuilding the hospital system over the last decade.
The Auditor General reported doctors were double dipping in the public and private purse
FACT: The report stated 4 out of 4000 (0.1%) may have, so 99.9% have not. Those who have should be trialed. Those who have not are public doctors dedicated to your health, earning MUCH less than they could in the private sector.
Meanwhile, the other unpaid vital roles of senior doctors goes unnoticed.
- • Teaching of Medical Students, Junior Doctors and other health professionals
- • Assessing overseas trained doctors to maintain safety standards
- • Research and Audit to ensure Queensland continues to provide world leading health care
This includes training ME.
Without my consultants, I don’t have a training position. My registrar colleagues will not get trained – and there you’ve lost the next generation of specialists.
I completed a 3 year Ba. Medical science, 4 year Ba. Medicine/ Ba. Surgery – then completed 2 resident years, one year as an ICU Registar at PAH and am now a 3rd year anaesthetic trainee and will not become fully qualified until I’m at least 33 years old.
My position will no longer be accredited if I lose my supervisors. It takes 13+ years to become a consultant specialist – plus continued training throughout your career, not to mention further training to hone unique skills within a specialty. The thought that Newman / Springborg thinks our public specialists can be easily replaced is completely insulting.
The government now has an all-out smear campaign against doctors (with Courier Mail tightly wedged in its back pocket), taking out full page ads to slander SMO’s. Obviously we don’t have that luxury, so my aim is to raise awareness and present my views on the matter, backed by a few facts.
12 months ago, doctor representatives and the government agreed on the MOCA 3 – a detailed contract regarding conditions of medical officers until 2015. (http://www.qirc.qld.gov.au/resources/pdf/certified_agreements/cert_agreements/2012/ca546_2012.pdf) .
Last year the government changed legislation to push through these individual contracts, which took away the right to industrial action and means for dispute resolution (including disputing unfair dismissal), and these contracts also can be changed at any time by hospital administration – they can alter hours and place of work – but worst, the politicians and administrators will dictate patient’s treatment options, NOT the doctors. Ever heard of the Staffordshire hospital enquiry : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9851763/Mid-Staffordshire-Trust-inquiry-how-the-care-scandal-unfolded.html – read here what happens when politicians, administrators and budgets drive healthcare, instead of it’s frontline medical staff. Closer to home – Dr. Jayant Patel – don’t be fooled thinking it was solely a criminal surgeon looking to harm people with a scalpel – the government set bottom lines and unreasonable KPI targets and that’s how they got the Bundaberg disaster.
^^ THIS IS WHY OUR DOCTORS ARE REFUSING TO SIGN. It has nothing to do with paycuts or loopholes – it is the potential loss of a doctor’s ability to protect and treat our public patients, which is you and your families, with the best care possible.
These SMO’s have your back – please, if you agree with this post, show your support and consider signing this petition :