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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-05-08 Daily Xml
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DOCTORS DISPUTE

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:27): Will the Minister for Health agree to the doctors' dispute becoming a matter open to public knowledge and, in particular, that the compulsory conferences and hearings in the Industrial Commission proceed henceforth in court and on the record?

Negotiations have been undertaken since October last year. On the minister's own admission, hundreds of surgical procedures have been cancelled. Now we have a public dispute between the government and the professionals as to who is telling the truth. In that regard, on 5 May 2008 the minister claimed that senior anaesthetists were earning between $340,000 and $389,000 a year under the new award, and there were no vacancies. On 6 May, Dr David Sainsbury, the Head of Anaesthesia at the Women's and Children's Hospital, said that these figures are 'rubbish', and that he has two vacancies. To date, some of the hearings have been in court (as in chambers) meaning that they are not open to the public.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:28): The Deputy Leader of the Opposition raised a number of issues, some of which are in my area of responsibility and some in my colleague's.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I do not know whether there is a capacity in this chamber during question time for two ministers to answer a question seriatim, but if there is, perhaps we could take advantage of it. Let me deal with some of the issues. The dispute between the government and the doctors will eventually be resolved, as are all disputes between employers and employees. We would obviously like to resolve that dispute by negotiation, and we are continuing to offer to negotiate with the union representing the doctors. It is now before the Industrial Relations Commission, and, of course, we take guidance and instructions from that body.

In general terms, the government has made, we believe, a very fair offer to the doctors. Senior anaesthetists, under the arrangements currently in place in South Australia, can receive a remuneration package of up to around $350,000. Under the offer that we have made to the union, that would increase, I think, to closer to $390,000. As I understand it, the request from the union would pay a senior anaesthetist something like $480,000 or $490,000. We are talking about very large sums of money.

In the case of anaesthetists, it is true that there is an international shortage. The training of anaesthetists, the decisions about how many anaesthetists, how many specialists are created, of course, is within the hands of the colleges that look after these things, and only to a limited degree can the government get involved in that. So, there is a reduced pool of available anaesthetists.

I am assured that at the Women's and Children's Hospital, in the area where the doctor who the member referred to works, the paediatric section, there is no vacancy at all in the area of anaesthetics. I understand the particular doctor has said that he would like to take on another trainee. Well, we would welcome him doing that. We have no problems with him taking on another trainee, as I understand it.

In relation to vacancies generally in the public health sector in South Australia, as I understand it, we currently have 4 per cent vacancies across the medical workforce. That is a relatively low figure. We would obviously like it to be zero, but it is a relatively low figure and it compares more than well with other states.

This is a difficult matter of negotiation. As I say, it is now under the management of the Industrial Relations Commission, which is taking, I think, a very good line and taking a strong interest in this case. If the matter cannot be resolved by negotiation, of course, it will then have to go to arbitration. That is the system we have got. It is a time-tested system and I am sure that it will ultimately resolve this matter.

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