Dodgy doctors to face fraud charge
Some Queensland doctors may have to front the Crime and Misconduct Commission over allegations of fraud.
The news comes after a brief probe by the state’s auditor-general, which found seven of the 88 doctors investigated had claimed excess overtime or double-billed Queensland Health.
Queensland employs around 2,500 Senior Medical Officers.
Of the few checks so far, the auditor-general that some doctors on leave had received $500,000 in overtime, and that a number had not attended work during their rostered hours for more than 30 days.
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has pushed for further investigation, accusing some public hospital doctors of “double-dipping”; claiming overtime even when they turned up late, billing patients privately despite having no right of private practice, and even being paid overtime while on holidays.
“Inadequate oversight and administration, and we've had double dipping and we've had people that have taken advantage,” Mr Springborg said.
“I'm talking here today about a small number of doctors - the majority of people are doing the right thing.
“The [auditor-general’s] report highlights gaps in both rostering and attendance processes and treatment and billing practices, which have been open to exploitation... Also, there are a number of recommendations which have been made to improve scrutiny and oversight in the system, which will all be implemented and adopted by the Government,” he said.
“Matters are going to be referred to the Crime and Misconduct Commission in Queensland.”
The Together Union says the report and warnings from the Health Minister are a political device used to aid in a push to individual contracts for doctors, which have recently been flagged for Queensland.
“This Government is trying to use a smokescreen of this auditor-general's report to completely misrepresent the true state of affairs in relation to the hours of work for doctors, the private practice arrangement for doctors,” a Together Union spokesperson said.
Dr Shaun Rudd from the Australian Medical Association says the dodgy practices of a slim minority are being used to attack the broader profession.
“The problem with the Queensland Health system has been that it is a system which has been very difficult... it's had its problems as well with the payroll system etcetera,” he said.
“The vast majority of doctors in the public system work long and hard... again it's usually a system problem in the fact they're probably working somewhere else in the public system, or it's not been recorded what they're actually doing.”
The attempts by the State Government to move doctors to individual contracts are seen by some as a way to break down union control and influence in the large sector of public service.