Vic: Doctors to meet over feared exodus interstate

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2006
Vic: Doctors to meet over feared exodus interstate

MELBOURNE, April 18 AAP - Victorian doctors will meet next month to discuss salaries,
amid warnings they will leave the state in droves unless the government matches other
states' pay and conditions.

Queensland and NSW doctors were paid 50 per cent more than their Victorian counterparts
as a result of government initiatives to attract doctors to work in their public hospitals,
the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Victoria said.

AMA Victoria president Mark Yates today said the Victorian government had admitted
it was already 900 doctors short, and an interstate exodus could leave the public hospital
system unviable.

"As the chasm of conditions and pay increases, because premiers (Peter) Beattie and
(Morris) Iemma value their doctors more, we're going to find it increasingly difficult
to maintain a good public hospital system in Victoria," he said.

Dr Yates said AMA Victoria had submitted a proposal to the state government five months
ago asking for a moderate five per cent pay increase, and a boost in conditions including
involvement in areas such as hospital management, research and teaching.

He said the AMA was very concerned about a future doctor shortage, but it was too early
to consider industrial action.

"We certainly have a meeting of doctors on the fourth of May, because this has been
five months so far," he said.

"But our concern at the moment is truly in the viability of the public hospital system."

Dr Yates said he knew of specialists working part time in the Victorian public system,
of which there were 2,000 working an average of three half-days a week, who were considering
a move to Queensland.

With better pay and conditions, they could be enticed to stay in Victoria and take
on more shifts, he said.

"To do that we have to have a public hospital system that is attractive to doctors,
(and) that will be attractive to doctors from other states so we can recruit them here,"

he said.

AAP jb/gfr/jas/nf

KEYWORD: DOCTORS DAYLEAD

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.