The doctor contracts dispute has led to “unprecedented unity” between medicos and their representative bodies, says the head of the Australian Medical Association, adding they need to stick together.
Steve Hambleton said doctors’ trust in the government had been “lost” through the negotiating process and rebuilding it would take time.
More than 700 doctors gathered in Brisbane on Wednesday to discuss the latest offer from the government, and while the prevailing view from their negotiating task force was that doctors had had some wins, the state’s specialists remain angry.
Dr Hambleton said governments needed to learn from what had happened in Queensland.
“That was a very unfortunate process we never want to see repeated and we do need to make sure we engage and stay engaged with government,” he said.
“Any changes that are brought forward need to be planned appropriately and delivered appropriately.
“…We found that the wording and the process, the legislation changes all coming at the same time led a lot of people to believe they were under significant attack.
“It has led to an unprecedented unity where we have got two unions, the AMA, senior medical officers, the pineapple group reforming, senior medical officers and visiting medical officers both working together.
“There has been unprecedented unity in this state now among doctors. That is actually a very good thing, if we maintain that unity, we’ll get outcomes that are beneficial for this health system in Queensland and I guess for the doctors as well.”
Dr Hambleton said he hadn’t seen such a strong reaction from doctors since the 2000 medical indemnity crisis.
“Not since then have we seen such an outpouring of emotion – senior men and women almost in tears with the level of emotions welling up,” he said.
“We can’t let it happen again, we are here to provide a public service, to deliver a service for Queensland, to teach and train the next generation of doctors, to make sure we have a fair and balanced system, which doesn’t do…what it did in the UK and that is allow unscrupulous managers to overrule clinical systems.”
Doctors will receive their contracts from Queensland Health on Thursday and can begin negotiations with their health and hospital services after the Easter break to work out individual conditions.
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital executive director Kesh Baboolal said it had been a “difficult time”.
“Yes, I think it did some damage but I don’t think it’s irreversible damage and I think we are all committed to the same goal,” he said.
Dr Hambleton said any fall out would not be known for a “few weeks yet” but he believed negotiations had reached a point where most doctors would be comfortable considering the contracts.
Source: Brisbane Times