Medicus April 2016

I N D U S T R I A L SNAPSHOTS

THE AMA (WA) understands that practitioners have recently been sent a copy of the Operational Directive 0639/15 which requires senior doctors to keep a daily record of their start and finish times or alternatively maintain a timesheet. It is the Association’s strong view that the Directive is in breach of the provisions of the AMA Agreements which have consistently referred to senior practitioners being engaged on a no-fixed hours basis consistent with professional practice, and which speak of a full-time professional commitment being an average of 40 hours per week. The Association has formalised its objection to the Directive to the Director General and has called upon him to withdraw the Directive as far as it pertains to medical practitioners. On the facing page is a copy of the Association’s correspondence. ■ PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT - EMPLOYEE RECORD OF ATTENDANCE

SALARIES CLAIMS

CLINICAL ACADEMIC CONTRACTS

FURTHER TO ARTICLES published in the last several editions of Medicus , the AMA (WA) served its 2016 public sector salaries claim on the Minister for Health on 3 March 2016. WA Health’s Director General has advised the AMA that the Department will commence negotiations once approval has been obtained from the Minister and the Treasurer, expected by early April 2016. Updates will be published on the AMA website. Specific claims for WACHS doctors and clinical academics will follow in due course. ■

THE ASSOCIATION IS aware that clinical academic contracts are being questioned and may not be renewed, in some cases, at the time of expiry due to funding issues. If you are concerned about your future contract, please contact the AMA (WA). ■

PUBLIC SECTOR RECRUITMENT FREEZE

ON 21 DECEMBER 2015, the WA Government announced an immediate public sector wide external recruitment freeze. Despite the growing demand on healthcare services and the increasing burden placed on WA’s medical workforce, the recruitment freeze applies to all government agencies, including health. The AMA (WA) has opposed the recruitment freeze and surveyed members in order to gauge its impact on the provision of services in public healthcare facilities and the medical workforce. The results have indicated that the freeze has had a significant negative impact on the capacity of hospital departments to provide best practice patient care, while also negatively impacting the morale of medical practitioners. Respondents have highlighted services operating: with fewer staff than is clinically recommended by the specialist Colleges; on the basis of no leave cover for unfilled positions; and an

expectation that work will be completed in non-rostered, unpaid overtime. With departments reliable on locums to fill vacant positions, the cost of reliance on locums demonstrates the false economy inherent in the freeze. Respondents have highlighted their inability to access leave entitlements, leading to a lack of capacity to provide clinical services and a collapse in morale.The impact of the freeze has been greater felt in rural and remote areas, where services were already experiencing staff shortages, prior to the commencement of the suspension. The AMA (WA) continues to advocate for an immediate exemption for all health positions so that medical practitioners have the capacity to provide a safe and quality level of healthcare. ■

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