Health Ombudsman Act May Negate Hard Won Concessions in New Doctor Contracts

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Will Queensland Health still be able to pressure doctors to perform procedures it sees as most cost effective rather than best for patient care by using fear? Have doctors lost there right to fair dismissal and dispute resolution?

Back in April doctors fought hard for some concessions during the contract dispute including:

   •   A robust and binding dispute resolution process
   •  A robust and binding unfair dismissal process
   •  The removal of words profitability, viability and reputation from the termination clause

Was this in vain, given the new powers to be granted under the Ombudsman Act?

The new Act gives the Ombudsman power to issue orders  without need for clinical or professional medical input, is this not open to political interference? Now the ombudsman can decide what poses a risk to delivery of patient care, could they deem profitability a risk to patient care delivery.

The Ombudsman can issue Interim Prohibition Orders any time irrespective of whether or not a complaint has been made. The Ombudsman is also given new unprecedented powers to act quickly to name and shame doctors publically online, something guaranteed to stain or destroy a doctors career indefinitely.

The government could use the looming spectre of this Ombudsman poised to snatch their career away from them at anytime to persuade doctors to toe their line.