Qld: VMO offer a 'deal clincher': Beattie

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2005
Qld: VMO offer a 'deal clincher': Beattie

BRISBANE, Aug 30 AAP - Premier Peter Beattie has hailed as a "deal clincher" a new
workplace agreement for visiting medical officers (VMOs) threatening to quit Queensland's
public health system.

Fifty-two VMOs from Brisbane's Princess Alexandra and Ipswich hospitals are the latest
to tender their resignations to the Australian Medical Association (AMA), to take effect
in three months if the state government fails to meet their demands on pay and conditions.

VMOs, private specialists who work in public hospitals, have also tendered their resignations
at the Gold Coast, Nambour and Royal Brisbane and Women's hospitals in the past month.

Queensland Health last night put forward a revision of VMO working conditions which
would see major changes to the way VMOs are employed.

The proposal includes a $128 an hour subsidy to help VMOs cover the administration
costs of running their private practices while working in the public system.

The state government had previously offered a pay rise of 7.6 per cent and a 28 per
cent loading for administration costs. VMOs want 40 per cent.

Mr Beattie today said the offer was fair and reasonable.

"I believe that with a bit of luck the offer that's put on the table can in fact be
the basis of an agreement," the premier told reporters.

"It is a significant movement. We believe it's a deal-clincher, we're prepared to give
them time and obviously work on it and consider it."

AMA Queensland VMO spokesman Ross Cartmill said the government's proposed revision
of working conditions would stall pay negotiations at a time when there was a mass exodus
from the public system.

He said he was surprised it had formulated an entirely different proposal at such a
late stage in negotiations.

"What they put on the table is not a fully thought out proposal - it was simply a preliminary
proposal and they acknowledge that there's a lot of work to be done to make it gel together,"

Dr Cartmill said.

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KEYWORD: VMOS NIGHTLEAD

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