Health restructure continues



Wednesday 13 March 2013

Health restructure continues

The full impact of cuts to Queensland Health on the Mossman District Hospital may not be known until April according to a Queensland Health spokesperson.

It is feared a number of jobs and health services will be lost to the community, despite claims from the Chair of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Board, Bob Norman, who said the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) executive team "carefully considered the feedback provided by staff and their unions on the proposed CHHHS restructure during the consultation period."

"Changes have been made to the proposed restructure as a result of the consultation," Mr Norman said.

"Staff affected by the proposed restructure are being contacted again by human resources to discuss their options including which vacant positions in the new structure they can apply for."

Mr Norman said a number of positions will be vacated by staff unaffected by the proposed restructure who have chosen to accept a voluntary redundancy.

"This will allow us to match affected staff who do not wish to leave the CHHHS with positions that will remain within the new structure. Every effort is being made to ensure this occurs."

The spokesperson for Queensland Health strongly denied rumours that staff who chose to apply for positions left vacant after the restructure were then ineligible for voluntary redundancy packages.

Implementation of the new Structure is expected to commence 1 May.