AMA committed to resolving Queensland Hospital Doctor Contract dispute
As more doctors become concerned about their employment future, and more patients worry about the stability of the Queensland health system, AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, is today urging calm and common sense and a return to negotiations to fix the ongoing contracts dispute.
Dr Hambleton said the dispute has now entered dangerous and uncertain territory for the Queensland health system.
“Above all, our major priority is putting confidence back into the Queensland health system – confidence for patients and the community, confidence for the doctors, and confidence for the Queensland Government,” Dr Hambleton said.
“It is not the time to put petrol on the fire.
“There is the very real possibility of mass resignations by highly-qualified and dedicated senior doctors who have lost trust in this process to date.
“Queensland cannot afford to lose these doctors. Contrary to some views being bandied around, these doctors cannot be easily or quickly replaced. They not only provide excellent care, they train the next generation of doctors to serve the people of Queensland.
“The AMA and senior doctors are not opposed to contracts, but they must be fair and equitable.
“We had, until recently, been making real progress in our discussions with the Health Minister and the Director General of Health, with the Government agreeing that the AMA concerns about the proposed contracts were legitimate - and they made some changes through a proposed addendum and changes to the Hospital and Health Boards Act.
“Senior doctors can have confidence that progress was being made, and now is the time to work through outstanding issues to everybody’s satisfaction.
“The AMA took a constructive approach to these negotiations and, over a very short period, all parties endeavoured to reach an outcome that could be supported by the senior doctors.
“Unfortunately, that momentum has now stalled.
“The pressure of the short timeframes for detailed discussions and an unrealistic deadline for an agreement brought things to a head last week.
“There was no time for the doctors to absorb the complexity of the changes being offered by the Government.
“We have now had sufficient time for everybody to vent their emotions and frustrations, and let their cool heads and clear thinking prevail.
“The right thing for the Queensland people is for a return to the negotiations to re-establish the goodwill and momentum that was producing genuine progress.
“There needs to be an immediate moratorium on the roll-out of contracts so that the Government's offer can be properly considered.
“At the same time, the Government can look at the legitimate concerns and questions being raised by senior doctors about the offer.
“Queenslanders have had a gutful of health crises. They want health solutions.
“The key to the Queensland health system running the best that it possibly can is to have a secure, confident, and engaged medical workforce.
“This dispute must be resolved. Nobody wants to see any further damage to the Queensland health system,” Dr Hambleton said.
26 March 2014
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