KEY POINTS:
Senior doctors have fired a parting shot at outgoing health minister Peter Hodgson, accusing him of "mind-boggling" behaviour in reaction to sector concerns.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) President Jeff Brown made the accusation during the association's annual conference amid a rocky salary negotiation round.
The ASMS, which represents many senior hospital doctors, has been threatening to walk off the job after 16 months of contract negotiations.
Mr Brown said problems in the sector had followed the pattern set by Mr Hodgson's leadership.
"His behaviour and inertia in response to advice and alarm from many groups of doctors is mind-boggling," Mr Brown said.
Colleges of medicine, the Medical Association and others had all made representations on issues.
"Only to hear him claim the opposite in the House, or consign them to the scrapheap of no response augmented by inaction. Is the disconnect deliberate, or dithering, or disdain?"
Mr Hodgson, who hands over the health portfolio to David Cunliffe from Monday, had lauded achievements in primary health, but treated hospitals were an embarrassment.
Mr Brown urged members to be resolute over their contract negotiations saying they must be prepared to strike if needs be.
He placed blame for the stand-off on the district health boards accusing managers of disconnecting with doctors.
"We see a DHB advocate use misrepresentations, exaggeration, and downright lies during protracted negotiations. His behaviour was protested through many avenues yet DHBs kept him in charge," Mr Brown said.
The unnamed manager had negotiated a large pay rise while "moonlighting for a Canadian health authority to which he suddenly scarpered.
"This abysmal behaviour should not tempt us to demonise an individual but surely we, and the public, are entitled to ask the DHBs - where is your accountability."
The specialists are seeking a two-year term, with a salary increase that would average out at 5 per cent a year. They also want an increased rate of compensation for working on-call, and greater reimbursement of continuing medical education expenses.
They have already turned down an offer, spread over four years, that the DHBs said would amount to $45,000 for a "typical senior doctor".
The DHBs' lead negotiator, Nigel Murray, said at the time it would see a typical senior doctor's total earnings move from $190,500 to $235,860 - a figure doctors described as over-exaggerated.
No further talks are scheduled, with the issue going to the top of the agenda at the specialists' annual conference in Wellington today and tomorrow.
At a series of stopwork meetings the union held nationwide in June and July, an "overwhelming" mandate was given to hold a ballot on industrial action should the impasse continue.
Conference delegates will determine if the ballot should now be held.
- NZPA
