The Government is appealing last year’s decision by the TIC to enshrine in the award a long-standing arrangement granting doctors a payment for treating private patients in the public system.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is fuming at suggestions from the Health Minister and the Premier that doctors are demanding a pay rise at the expense of public hospital funding.
AMA state president Tim Greenaway said the comments misrepresented the situation, as doctors were not asking for any extra money.
“Some of the media statements have been very inflammatory, which has upset many of our members, which is in fact regrettable at a time when we are trying to work with the Government to implement necessary health reforms,” he said.
Dr Greenaway said the timing of the comments was unhelpful.
“Some doctors have expressed to me perhaps an unwillingness to continue in the structural reforms process when the Government behave like this,” he said
“As they put it, [the Government is making] frankly misleading suggestions that people in the community could interpret as an unfettered cash grab by doctors.
“This is absolutely not true, it has angered doctors and some may choose not to continue in the reform process.”
He called on the Health Minister and Premier to retract their previous statements on the issue.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Michael Ferguson said it was “not useful to conduct debate though the media”.
In a statement, Mr Ferguson welcomed the decision of the Industrial Commission to grant the appeal.
“We support the long-standing arrangement for doctors to retain earnings from treating private patients in our public hospitals, but not at the expense of public patients and services,” he said.
The appeal will not affect doctors’ pay rises.
The matter will be heard on April 29.