Medics paid $70k bonus could quit as worker crisis ‘hangs by a thread’

The government won’t know how many of the hundreds of health workers paid up to $70,000 to work in Queensland Health will remain when their 12-month contract ends.

The state government won’t know how many of the hundreds of health workers paid up to $70,000 to work in Queensland Health will remain when their 12-month contract ends.

Amid critical shortages of doctors and clinicians, Queensland Health is offering interstate or international health workers who stay for 12 months up to $20,000 to work in the southeast or $70,000 to work in regional Queensland.

The scheme was launched on July 1, and the first 12-month contracts are due to expire within months.

Whether the workers remain in the state or walk away won’t be known, with Queensland Health admitting it “does not track the current employment status of past participants” of its Workforce Attraction Scheme.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said more than 1000 interstate or overseas workers have come to Queensland, many from overseas including Ghana and Ireland.

She acknowledged there would be no way to follow the workers once the 12 months ended.

“Part of the contract is of course that they work for us for 12 months, then of course we can’t track where else they go in the system,” she said.

“There’s over 100,000 people that work for Queensland Health.

“The fact that we have been able to attract the best talent from interstate and overseas is testament to the fact that this incentive is working.”

The Australian Medical Association Queensland said the state’s workforce was “hanging by a thread”.

The peak body said the state’s regional health system relied on international medical graduates, but argued the government was failing to support and retain them with training and career opportunities.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NCA NewsWire

AMAQ vice-president Emilia Dauway, an overseas-trained doctor, said it was a “huge leap of faith” to relocate to Australia.

“Our international medical graduates are among the most at-risk doctors for poor mental health,” she said.

“Adjusting to life in another country and a new health system can be confronting. It can be hard to find advice on workplace issues like employment contracts and entitlements.

“We do not have enough training places, and even when international medical graduates get on a training program, the resources and guidance can be lacking.”

Dr Dauway said it created “distress” for locally trained junior doctors and international medics and often forced them into locum positions or to leave medicine.

AMAQ is calling on Queensland Health to identify the numbers of doctors required and training places available.

“Workforce planning must be needs-based to fix increasingly chronic staff shortages,” Dr Dauway said.

“Our health workforce is overstretched, under-resourced and hanging by a thread.

“While we welcome the state government’s financial incentives for international doctors to relocate to regional Queensland, we have to ensure we can keep them.”

A Queensland Health spokeswoman said building a strong medical workforce was its “top priority”.

“Our innovative programs to attract skilled workers have garnered attention, even some criticism, but have been undeniably successful,” she said.

“The Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme alone has helped attract 1,069 new clinical professionals to the state, with a strong focus on filling regional healthcare gaps.