Media release from Minister for health-Senior clinicians guide change in contract discussions

Minister for Health
The Honourable Lawrence Springborg

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Senior clinicians guide change in contract discussions

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has welcomed a communique from the head of the Queensland Clinical Senate, Dr David Rosengren, urging all senior doctors to properly consider the proposed individual contracts and contract addendum.

The communique prompted Queensland Health Director General Ian Maynard to issue a Health Employment Directive to reduce the necessary notice period required of doctors under MOCA3 arrangements from three months to two.

Mr Springborg said he was determined to ensure Senior and Visiting Medical Officers were fully informed of changes to the contract arrangements offered by the Government in recent talks with doctors’ representatives.

“Unfortunately, these are changes not readily acknowledged by union bosses,” he said.

To continue dialog with front-line doctors, Mr Springborg and Director General, Ian Maynard, met with the seventeen leaders of the Queensland Clinical Networks at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital yesterday.

Leaders included their chair Professor Tony Russell, and the Chair of the Queensland Clinical Senate, Dr David Rosengren.

Mr Springborg said the leaders are highly respected in clinical practice across the State.

“I sought their feedback on the Government’s proposals and was happy to approve the suggestion outlined in their communique,” he said.

“This will help remove the pressure on doctors from unions demanding that they resign their positions by March 31.

“All senior doctors have until April 30 to properly consider the Government’s proposal and need not feel pressured by the artificial early deadline preferred by unions.

“This agreement provides all senior doctors with more than a month to consider the contracts and does not require anyone who is currently dissatisfied to give their notice by March 31.

“As I have said previously, I’m urging all doctors to properly consider the documents put forward to them by their Hospital and Health Service before making a final decision.”

[ENDS] 27 March 2014
Media contact: Cameron Thompson – 0407 585 230