Doctors, not spin doctors, needed at Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service say unions

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HEALTH unions have criticised Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service for hiring a high-paid spin doctor, rather than more clinicians. 
 
The health service has started advertising for a $145,000-a-year director of media, marketing and communications, to be based in Cairns.

The media guru, who will oversee a communications unit of four staff, will provide “frank and fearless advice in a high pressure environment”, reporting directly to chief executive Julie Hartley-Jones and board chairman Bob Norman.

Mr Norman said there was growing interest in the way the health service operated from the public and several media outlets.

“There is key operational information that needs to be communicated across the health service which encompasses a diverse range of professions across multiple facilities,’’ he said.

He said a key component of the role would be looking at the ways the organisation communicated internally and externally, and where they was room for improvement.

“The health service has long-established formal channels for unions to raise concerns and staff communication has not been raised as an issue,’’ he said.

Queensland Nurses Union Far North organiser Kaylene Turnbull said the new position was unnecessary, as there was already several media officers employed by the health service.

“It just seems ridiculous that we need someone to be paid ($145,000-a-year), when we’ve actively got the government promoting that they’re going to reduce paperwork and reduce costs and have more nurses. But apparently we’re going to have someone who tells management how to respond to the media.

“In the job description it says they’re going to provide open and frank information to the CEO and the chair – but not the public.”

Together union representative and Cairns Hospital anaesthetist Dr Sandy Donald also questioned why the health service needed such a high-paying communications professional.

“They’ve always had, for as long as I can remember, somebody who has been giving them advice and assisting with media statements,’’ he said.

“But at a time when we’ve lost so many critical clerical staff, and critical services like surgical outpatients are not running properly, because we still don’t have enough clerical staff, I don’t think staff will at all be reassured there will be a couple of clerical salaries going on better spin.”
 

Source: Cairns Post