The drawn-out Queensland doctors dispute with the state government could be resolved in a matter of weeks, with the state government and doctors’ representatives having reached an in-principle agreement.
After eight months of tense negotiations, which included threats of a mass walkout, individual doctors will now vote on whether to accept a lifetime performance-based contracts proposal.
Walkout threats have been taken off the table and Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the government had received letters of support for the revised contracts from the Australian Medical Association and its Queensland Branch, the Salaried Medical Officers representatives and the Together Union.
He described the agreement as “a milestone” and a “giant leap forward for Queensland Health”.
Mr Springborg said doctors would have until May 31 to sign the contracts – a one-month extension on the previous deadline.
The new contracts will come into effect on August 4.
Mr Springborg said there had been disputes surrounding dispute resolution, rostering and transfers but believed those had now been resolved.
“We’ve sat down for the last few days with doctors…[We’ve] had the legal people nuance things so everyone has been happy,” he told Fairfax Radio 4BC Breakfast on Tuesday.
“In these things everyone sits down and there’s always an element of give and take, and I think we’re all relieved that it has been achieved.”
Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation president Tony Sara said amendments to the contract offer meant “patient safety is not compromised in order to meet bureaucratic needs”.
“There are still a small number of key matters that remain to be resolved. Our expectation is that these matters will be rectified prior to the mass meeting of doctors on Wednesday,” Dr Sara said.
“Ultimately it’s up to the state’s doctors to decide whether they are confident the contracts put the needs of patients ahead of the needs of bureaucrats.”
Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton said the new contracts were improved and there was less ambiguity than previous versions.
“We have lost some doctors already….[but] we do hope to retain our best and brightest here in Queensland,” he said.
Source: Brisbane Times