Health Minister pushes ahead with addendum to proposed doctor contracts #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg yesterday pushed ahead with the introduction of an addendum to the contracts, seizing on comments by Australian Medical Association boss Dr Steve Hambleton recognising his attempts to break the impasse with senior doctors over the deal.
But the battle will heat up in court today, with the two sides facing off over accusations that unions are spreading âmisinformationâ to their members over the contracts.
A Federal Court judge yesterday ordered the matter be brought forward.
The case was initially set down for May 6 â almost a week after doctors must sign their contracts â after Queensland Health did not ask for an expedited hearing. Mr Springborg yesterday welcomed the decision to shift forward the hearing, saying questions over the accuracy of legal advice were being used to âcreate concerns among membersâ ahead of the deadline.
But Together union state secretary Alex Scott, who is named in the action, said the attempt to âgag medical professionalsâ was a âhorrendousâ attack on their independence.
AMA state president-elect Shaun Rudd has told The Courier-Mail that the legal action had made any prospective discussions difficult.
Mr Springborg yesterday told The Courier-Mail he would continue to work with the AMA as it was taking a far more âprofessional approachâ to the dispute as opposed to other groups who kept âshifting the goal postsâ.
Dr Hambleton yesterday released a statement hosing down speculation of a rift between the AMA and doctor unions over the issue.
In his statement, Dr Hambleton said the AMA âshared a common goalâ with doctors unions, including the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Association, of getting a solution and he denied a rift with the group.
ASMOF has advised doctors not to sign the contracts, saying the solution put forward by the Government was flawed.
Source: Courier Mail