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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Following consensus reached at the Special Doctors Staff Group Consultative Committee (DSGCC) meeting today (May 31), the Hospital Authority (HA) will proceed to seek formal approval from the Board to implement the enhanced interim measures for promotion and special allowance for retention of doctors. A steering committee would also be established to address the doctor manpower issue in the long term. Subject to the approval of the Board, implementation of the measures will commence in July.
HA Chairman Mr Anthony Wu expressed his gratitude to all frontline doctors for the dedication and commitment in serving the public and he thanked them for their understanding and support of the proposed measures.
"We thank staff representatives and union leaders for their invaluable contributions in the last few months in collating and reflecting views of frontline colleagues towards our proposed measures," said Mr Wu.
At today's Special DSGCC meeting, the HA deliberated the e-polling results of public doctors towards HA's proposed measures to address doctors' workload and promotion concerns.
"We are delighted to see that a total of 1 107 doctors responded to the polling which concluded last week, representing 20 percent of all medical staff in public hospitals," remarked HA Chief Executive Dr Leung Pak-yin.
Subsequent to the last meeting on March 18, a series of staff forums have been held at the seven hospital clusters to elaborate to frontline doctors details of the proposed measures. The e-polling was arranged at the request of staff unions to solicit views of public hospital doctors on two key proposed measures, namely, the special promotion mechanism and the enhanced honorarium arrangement in recognition of excessive workload of frontline doctors.
The proposed Special Associate Consultant Promotion Mechanism will supplement the present promotion system in place for job openings due to normal replacement and new service.
"We hope to alleviate uneven promotion opportunities across specialties and hospital clusters and will recognise the contribution of doctors with relatively long years of post-fellowship experience," added Dr Leung.
Among the respondents, 61 percent agreed to the enhanced promotion mechanism, 13 percent remained neutral and 26 percent cast their disagreement. Based on number of doctors with at least five years of post-fellowship experience, it is estimated that there will be around 110 to 130 additional Associate Consultant promotion posts to top up the average of over 100 posts vacated by normal turnover and new service each year.
"In recognition of extra workload of doctors in units with staff shortage due to wastage and replacement difficulties, an enhanced honorarium system is proposed on top of the current system of fixed-rate honorarium," said Dr Leung.
Frontline doctors will be eligible for the enhanced honorarium if staff shortage in the department reaches at least 10 percent. A sliding scale will apply to reflect the degree of manpower shortage from 10 to over 25 percent.
The polling results showed that 57 percent and 11 percent of the respondents either supported or did not object to the two-tier (acute and non-acute units) enhanced honorarium arrangement.
A steering committee on Medical Manpower Review will also be established following the overwhelming support by respondents (92 percent) for a central committee to review the doctors' workload and manpower plan in longer term.
The steering committee, to be chaired by the HA Chief Executive, is expected to have the first meeting convened in July 2011, with representatives from various clinical specialties, staff unions and DSGCC.
Dr Leung thanked members of the DSGCC and union leaders in providing valuable views on the staff retention and morale boosting measures. "HA will proceed to seek HA Board approval for the early implementation of the two new measures as recognition for the extra efforts of frontline medical staff under the current difficult situation of high staff turnover and pressing service demand," he said.
Earlier on, HA has already announced the implementation of a number of immediate measures to relieve the workload and improve the working condition of doctors, which include the recruitment of more part-time doctors, special call arrangement for pregnant staff and enhanced phlebotomist services and clerical support. The current progress of all proposed measures is listed in the appendix.
Ends/Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Issued at HKT 22:46
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