Massive health bill for locums flying in and out of Tasmania

Locum medical specialists, including psychiatrists, are being paid tidy sums each day to fly to Tasmania to treat patients in hospital. See the astronomical costs.

Independent MLC, Ruth Forrest talks during the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill debate in the Legislative Council. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Locum medical specialists, including psychiatrists, are being paid thousands of dollars a day to fly to Tasmania to treat patients in hospital.

The situation is worst in the North-West with the Australian Medical Association estimating three in four doctors are often locums at the North-West Regional and Mersey Community Hospitals.

The government spent more than $57m on specialist locums at the state’s public hospitals from last July to March 31 this year and the Health Department says it is pulling out all stops to recruit staff.

The going rate for a locum is said to be $2000 a day plus loadings for weekends and nights.

AMA vice-president Dr Annette Barratt said there had been problems over the past few years with pay for doctors and she hopes the recent award agreements would help attract staff.

“The pay rate for Tasmanians consultants has been lower than other areas, traditionally, and initially that wasn’t a problem because the cost of living in Tasmania was cheaper, but unfortunately, now it’s not.

“That’s why our recent EBA negotiations with the government have been very much centred on making sure that we are offering doctors, from our junior doctors, right through to our senior consultants, pay that is equitable with other states, so that we can get them to come here and get them to stay.”

AMA Tasmanian Vice President Dr Annette Barratt at New Town. Picture Chris Kidd

“We cannot build up a community of practice, unless we have doctors staying and by community of practice, we mean people who support each other.

“We also need our regular doctors who build up our wonderful research that Tasmania has been renowned for over the years.”

Tasmania was very selective about the quality of the locums employed, she said, but with doctors changing, patients were unable to build up close relationships with them.

She said locum doctors from also did not teach trainee doctors.

As well as a shortage of medical specialists, Dr Barratt said there were currently 60 vacancies for GPs in Tasmania.

Health department secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks confirmed it was challenging to recruit permanent psychiatrists in Tasmania which also was being experienced nationally.

“The use of locum doctors, including psychiatrists, is required to ensure continued delivery of essential health services to the community,” she said.

“Rates of payment for locum contracts in Tasmania vary depending on a number of factors, including market rates, location, and the specialty being undertaken.”

Mersey MLC Michael Gaffney said it was probably more lucrative for a locum to work at the Mersey Hospital for one week a month than “to stay, live and work full time in the community”.

“However, it is not possible for locums to develop a personal and intimate understanding of a patient’s needs when an individual presents with health and wellbeing issues, unlike a permanent doctor.”

Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest, a former midwife, said locums did not provide continuity of care for many patients, “especially those with chronic or complex health conditions”.

“With frequent changes to health professionals providing this care, it is more likely to have frequent medication changes, increasing the risk of medication errors

“Sadly there has been an almost total reliance on locums to fill what should be substantive positions in our NW hospitals.”

Originally published as Massive health bill for locums flying in and out of Tasmania