Redland City to feel force of doctor contracts #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
DOCTORS are warning services at Redland Hospital will be scaled back if the state government refuses to drop plans to introduce contracts for senior medical officers.
Senior doctors at the hospital have supported a state-wide protest against the contracts, which they say give the government power to vary their hours and pay and reduce shift allowances.
Senior staff specialist in Emergency Medicine at Redland Hospital Dr Mike Cameron said if the contracts went ahead, a third of the state’s senior medical staff would resign and services at Redland would suffer.
He said likely results would be more doctors on 457 visas or centralisation of staff at Brisbane hospitals and called for Health Minister Lawrence Springborg to resign.
He said at Redland Hospital services such as elective surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology and anaesthetics would be affected along with waiting times.
“If a third of the workforce in this state resigns, those who have signed the contract will be redeployed to more sensitive areas than Redlands,” he said.
There are about 50 doctors at the hospital on an award who would be affected by the proposed contracts.
A Health Department spokesman said the department had not been advised of any planned industrial action at Redland Hospital.
Mr Springborg said last week an agreed solution, struck after 33 meetings with doctors, gave doctors six months’ dismissal notice and roster changes would require four weeks’ notice. Contracts also allowed senior doctors to negotiate with hospital boards and access dispute mediation.
Source: Bayside Bulletin