Director-General Ian Maynard – Doctor contracts update -27 March 2014 #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
TRANSCRIPT
Hi. I'd like to take this opportunity to update you on three recent developments involving doctor's contracts in Queensland.
The first is to advise that yesterday I finalised the addendum to the doctor's contracts, for both VMOs (Visiting Medical Officers) and SMOs (Senior Medical Officers). Over the next twenty-four hours, all SMOs and VMOs in Queensland will receive from their Hospital and Health Service a copy of this addendum. As you will recall, the addendum addresses a number of issues and concerns raised by doctors and varies the terms of the contract to address those issues and concerns.
The second issue is to advise you that this morning I have issued a Health Employment Directive that will have the effect of reducing the notice period you're required to give if you resign from your Hospital and Health Service on the 30th of April 2013 [correction: 2014]. Effectively, this Health Employment Directive reduces that notice period from three months to two months. The outcome will be that we align the date where the contract, the new contract, is no longer valid and the date where you can resign without having any reduction in your private practice arrangements — that date is now the 30th of April.
The final issue I'd like to confirm is that today the Minister for Health Lawrence Springborg has issued a Ministerial Direction to me, the Director-General, which outlines his expectations on two areas. Firstly, that I will consult a contracts advisory committee for all proposed changes in the future to the employment contracts and secondly, he outlines in the Ministerial Direction the wording that he will use to amend the Hospital and Health Services Act [Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011] that will essentially constrain the powers of the Director-General so that no one can make a change to your employment contract that is a disadvantage or detriment to you without your agreement. That Ministerial Direction comes into effect today.
In summary, what I've covered off on today provides you with certainty around your employment contract and the addendum to that contract, it provides you with certainty of the legislative change that the Minister has committed to, it provides you with significantly more time to consider your position, to take the appropriate advice and to consider signing your contract.
Thank you for your ongoing time and patience. All of the issues I've talked about today can be found on our internal and external internet sites.