Senior Doctors And DHBS Agree on ‘Holding Pattern’

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ATTENTION: HEALTH REPORTER

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR RELEASE
MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2010

“Senior Doctors And DHBS Agree on ‘Holding Pattern’ in National Collective Agreement Negotiations”

“Senior doctors and the 20 district health boards have agreed upon an innovative ‘holding pattern’ in the their negotiations for a national collective agreement,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, and Ms Karen Roach, spokesperson for the 20 DHBs, today.

“In recognition of the importance of senior doctors to the achievement of key government objectives in the health system and to assist with senior doctor recruitment and retention in public hospitals, we have agreed to work on a joint business case, which will include remuneration, to better inform both ourselves and government. Best endeavours will be made to complete this by the end of October. Once the outcome of the business case is known we will return to negotiations.”

“In the meantime we have agreed to vary the current collective agreement by increasing current senior doctor salaries by 2% effective from 31 January 2011 along with other minor improvements. This is consistent with the agreement for much of the rest of the DHBs’ workforce, including nurses, allied health professionals, clerical staff, cleaners and caterers, which recognise the difficult financial circumstances facing the sector.”

“Both the ASMS and DHBs recognise that senior doctors provide expertise, leadership, mentoring and training, and are critical to the delivery of top quality health services to patients and communities.”

“Following on from the four constructive workshops we have held, we have adopted an innovative approach that combines the need to address the heavy financial constraint facing the public health system and the serious recruitment and retention situation in the senior doctor workforce,” concluded Ms Roach and Mr Powell.

ENDS

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