Major Win for Visiting Medical Officers

For the first time in history, Visiting Medical Officers (VMOs) will now be able to access the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) to resolve workplace disputes. This is a major win for VMOs negotiated by the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation Queensland (ASMOFQ) and the AMA Queensland Visiting Medical Officer’s (VMO) Committee.

Queensland Health currently employs VMOs on standardised, individual contracts that can cause issues for members when workplace disputes or grievances arise. Until now, VMOs have been unable to access the QIRC to resolve industrial disputes, unlike their Senior Medical Officer (SMO) colleagues.

Queensland Health will shortly issue a Health Employment Directive (HED) to add this entitlement to VMOs. While VMOs are still able to use the existing dispute resolution procedure (e.g. using a private mediator to resolve disputes), ASMOFQ expects that many VMOs will benefit from using the more efficient and effective process of resolving disputes via the QIRC.

Negotiations to secure this entitlement for VMOs have occurred over the last 12 months, and are part of a major campaign to protect and enhance the working rights of VMOs.