Plastic Surgeons’ concerns regarding the proposed Queensland Health contracts #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
3 April 2014
The Hon. Lawrence Springborg MP
Minister for Health
Level 19, 147-163 Charlotte Street
BRISBANE QLD 4000
Email: Health@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Dear Minister
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons was founded in 1970 and is the peak body for Specialist Plastic Surgeons. Its mission is to provide the highest quality plastic surgery care to all Australians. Members work in both public and private hospitals with clinical practices which are predominantly reconstructive.
The Queensland Committee is a state chapter of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons. We are a collegiate professional group of fifty Specialist Plastic Surgeons and eleven surgical trainees.
We write to express our concerns regarding the proposed Queensland Health contracts.
Of those members currently employed with Queensland Health the majority are strongly considering resignation; some have already resigned from Queensland Health. This is a direct result of the conditions included in the proposed contracts. Were all the Specialist Plastic Surgeons to follow through with a resignation, the impact on public health and service provision within Queensland public hospitals will be significant and irreversible.
The breakdown and loss of affected specialised areas of health services include: post-mastectomy breast reconstruction; head and neck cancer reconstruction; paediatric surgery (including craniofacial surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery); the management of soft tissue injuries in multi-trauma cases; hand surgery; and a high number of skin malignancies.
Under the auspice of the AMC accredited Surgical Education and Training (SET) Program of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), Specialist Plastic Surgeons also provide the faculty for the pro bono teaching and supervision of the next generation of Specialist Plastic Surgeons. Resignations as a result of the new contracts will effectively put and end to this public service.
It is impossible to accurately calculate the actual dollar value to Queensland Health of the pro bono, Specialist expertise, to facilitate the training of future plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Surgeons do not maintain a ledger of the voluntary hours they contribute for the greater good.
ASPS recently undertook an activity-based costing exercise to estimate the cost to the Society of the surgical education and training program for our Specialty. Using just the unit cost of the public hospital rate for a College Fellow Executive Specialist (i.e. not taking into account actual earnings for time sacrificed from specialist private clinical practice), as a minimum, Specialist Plastic Surgeons contribute the equivalent of approximately $1.3 million annually in pro bono teaching time for registrars in the public hospital sector.
We are concerned that, in times of budget constraint, Queensland Health cannot sustain the real cost of surgical training were pro bono hours to be removed from public hospitals consequent to resignations by Medical Specialists.
More importantly, we have to ask, what is the impact on patients, now, of the loss of Specialist Plastic Surgeons from our public hospitals? And what of the future, should Queensland lose its probono registrar training in our Specialty of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and that of other specialties?
Minister, please be assured that, as a Specialty, we want to continue to provide the highest standard of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery care to the community. It is now urgent that, as the responsible Minister, you consider a renegotiation of these contracts. We urge that negotiations between all parties be conducted in a spirit of cooperation and that any obstacles be resolved expeditiously and in a collaborative manner.
We would be pleased to meet you to discuss our letter in more detail and if you require further information or any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our Chief Executive, Gaye Phillips will assist, email: gphillips@plasticsurgery.org.au.
Yours sincerely
Mark Magnusson FRACS
Chairman Queensland Committee
Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons
Paul Belt FRACS
Hon Secretary Queensland Committee
Surgeons Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons
cc. Geoffrey Lyons FRACS, President Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons
Tony Kane FRACS, Vice President Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons