Solutions to Central Queensland maternity crisis

AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton met Health Minister Yvette D’Ath today to offer solutions to the workforce shortages that have led to maternity unit closures and bypasses for the past six months. 

“A Roundtable is a good idea to find long-term solutions to regional healthcare shortages, but Queensland Health can take action now to bring doctors and nurses into regional and rural centres,” Dr Boulton said. 

“It must end its nonsensical restriction on Queensland Health employees taking locum work at Queensland hospitals. If doctors and nurses want to use their leave to do short-term work at other hospitals in our state that desperately need them, let them. 

“Queensland doctors are using their personal time to work in New South Wales hospitals as locums while our own hospitals are left short-staffed. 

“Minister D’Ath has advised that obstetricians employed by Queensland Health can now locum in Central Queensland. We welcome this change, but the ban must be lifted for all healthcare workers across the state. 

“Queensland Health should also put out a call to its own staff members to find people who are willing to join rosters to work in our overstretched hospitals around the state. 

“Queensland Health has the capacity to develop a list of healthcare workers who are prepared and ready to work in maternity units. 

“In the longer term, we are reassured that work is underway to create state-wide accreditation for doctors, so they can more easily work in different regions. 

“We are coming out of a two-year border closure that made it harder to recruit international medical graduates. We need to look at ways to make their pathway into employment easier and support them so they stay. 

“Our communities deserve first class healthcare, and we are working with the government to deliver that with our solutions.” 

CONTACT: media@amaq.com.au 0419 735 641