Doctors share common goal of fair and balanced contracts- Message from AMA #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that doctor groups – the Federal AMA, AMA Queensland, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF), ASMOF Queensland, the Together union, and the ‘Pineapple’ group – share the common goal of fair and balanced senior doctor employment contracts with the Queensland Government.
Dr Hambleton said that, contrary to newspaper reports, there is no ‘split’ between the key groups representing Queensland doctors in the contract dispute.
“All groups remain committed to getting a solution to the dispute,” Dr Hambleton said.
“We acknowledge that unions are running an independent campaign in their own right on behalf of their members.
“My priority as Federal AMA President is to remain engaged with Health Minister Springborg and the Director General of Health to negotiate an outcome that can be agreed by all stakeholders.
“The Government has put proposals on the table and we are examining them closely to gauge whether they match the requirements that doctors need to be able to sign the contracts.
“We look forward to seeing the final amendments to the Hospital and Health Boards Act, which we understand will be introduced to Parliament this week.
“The senior doctors are not opposed to individual employment contracts, but they must be fair and balanced contracts.
“The senior doctors want this dispute to end so they can get back to work with confidence that they have secure employment arrangements.
“The people of Queensland support their doctors and want the dispute to end. They want to know that their trusted doctors will be there to help them if they are sick or injured.
“And I am sure the Government wants this dispute to end. Queensland does not want or need another crisis in the health system that resonates around the country and around the world – but this remains a very real possibility.
“The prospect of mass doctor resignations is imminent because the senior doctors perceive that they have no other option. The ongoing dispute is affecting both their personal and professional lives.
“We have come part of the way to a solution. The door is open for further contract negotiations to build on this progress.
“The Government’s decision to reduce the notice period for senior doctor resignations from three months to two months came part of the way to the moratorium we called for last week.
“We should now also consider the appointment of an independent mediator to assist this process and get a satisfactory deal across the line.
“The involvement of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission or an eminent Queenslander who is acceptable to all parties must now be seriously considered, given the severity of the dispute and the potential devastating impact on the Queensland health system.”
Source:AMA