Doctors' Jobs Linked To Travel

Illawarra Mercury

Friday July 30, 2004

By JENNY DENNIS

SYDNEY-BASED specialists who refuse to travel within their new mega health area risk losing their jobs, health bureaucrats have suggested.

Days after the State Government revealed its plan to cut the number of health services from 17 to eight, it emerged visiting medical officers (VMOs) would be expected to travel and if not prepared to do so, risked not having their contracts renewed.

The Government's big stick approach came on the back of some serious doubts expressed by Illawarra clinicians about the likelihood that eastern suburbs specialists would be prepared to travel to the Illawarra and Shoalhaven to see patients.

The suggestion came from former Illawarra Health boss Liz Gale at a meeting of the Northern Illawarra Medical Staff Council on Wednesday and was repeated at a meeting with health service staff yesterday.

Dr Gale, now joint deputy administrator of the new South Eastern-Illawarra Health Service, was discussing the redistribution of resources across the new, larger area.

She said as VMO contracts came up for renewal, consideration would have to be given to how many were needed in each specialty.

Inevitably, some doctors would be surplus to needs and some contracts might not be renewed, Dr Gale said.

The inference, according to some at the meeting, was that Sydney VMOs not prepared to travel to peripheral areas like Wollongong and Shoalhaven would be out of a job.

A spokesman for NSW Health Minister Morris Iemma did not deny the suggestion yesterday.

The minister's spokesman said the restructure of the health service was all about taking the services to the people and improving the distribution of the health service.

"VMOs who are prepared to practise across the network will have the greater opportunities for employment," he said.

Australian Medical Association NSW president John Gullotta said the association would be opposed to any move to force doctors to travel to outer areas if they did not want to go.

Renewing the contracts of only those doctors prepared to travel amounted to preferential employment, Dr Gullotta said.

He had spoken to NSW Health representatives on Tuesday, just before Mr Iemma announced the realignment. They had assured him the existing VMO contracts would be renewed and the maximum travel time required of doctors would be 30 minutes "from call to cut".

Most specialists already travelled to country hospitals, Dr Gullotta said.

"But if they try to insist doctors who don't travel won't get visiting rights at Prince of Wales, that's blackmail."

He said threatening the specialists would simply cause them to "walk".

"They won't renew their contracts and the AMA would support them in that."

Wollongong vascular surgeon David Huber said the region deserved better.

"I am not particularly interested in having the ones willing to travel. We want the ones who are best at their jobs," he said.

It was important that the Illawarra's medical appointment advisory committee retained the power to review all appointments, Dr Huber said.

© 2004 Illawarra Mercury

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