Queensland looks interstate for new doctors #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
Queensland’s government is looking to employ doctors from interstate to replace any doctors who resign over new contracts.
Victorian recruitment firm First Medical has emailed doctors in southern states inviting them to move to Queensland, according to a report.
The company is offering daily pay of $1800 to $2600 for temporary roles and annual salaries of up to $450,000 for full-time roles.
Local doctors have been threatening to resign en masse if the state government tries to force them to sign new individual contracts, which they say are unfair.
The government says it will hire foreign doctors to fill positions, but an email from First Medical director Ciaran Connolly shows they’re also looking within Australia.
“We have been advised to plan for the worst and start to look at permanent solutions and temporary (locum) solutions,” News Corp reported the email as saying.
“We are hoping for expressions of interest to either locum or any doctors considering a more permanent move.”
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg’s office did not want to comment on hospitals planning for resignations, but he said he wouldn’t be surprised if they were.
“In fact, they should be,” Mr Springborg said.
Comment has been sought from First Medical.
Keep Our Doctors spokesman Dr Nick Buckmaster said the government should focus on reaching a solution to the current problem, rather than looking at how to bypass his present workforce.
“Doctors don’t want to have to leave. We’re hopeful the government will agree to come back to the table and reach a fair agreement,” Dr Buckmaster said in a statement.
“The state government’s contracts are so bad that employment warnings have been issued interstate and overseas warning doctors to avoid working to Queensland.
“There are going to be very few, if any, top doctors willing to come and work under these conditions.”
Source: AAP