Advisory Service

AMA Queensland members are able to access a number of handy documents and seek verbal and written advice about establishing their own medical practice.

The information available from AMA Queensland centres on staffing considerations and concerns of a medico-legal nature:

The industrial relations system as it applies to a particular workplace
Superannuation, workers' compensation and workplace health and safety
The recruitment, selection and training of staff
Employment contracts for Award and non- Award staff
Position descriptions and performance Appraisals
Time and wages records
Counselling, discipline and termination processes
The privacy legislation Business structures
Medical records (inc ownership)
Medico-legal work including reports and court fees
Other day-to-day medical practice considerations.

VMO Appointments

Extensive industrial representation and advice on VMO appointments
Review of VMO contracts by Workplace Relations Advisers

Award Subscription Service

Subscribers to our Award Subscription Service receive an updated copy of their nominated Award/s or other relevant industrial instruments including consolidated versions of the relevant NAPSAs upon subscription as well as regular Circular updates and quarterly newsletters detailing IR & practice relevant information.

This service is for employers in the state or federal IR system.

Employment Considerations

Members can obtain a copy of the Award/s relevant to the staff they intend to employ. The two most common Awards are the Clerical Employees' Award - State and the Nurses Award - State. Verbal and written advice and interpretation of award conditions can also be sought.

In addition, practitioners can obtain information about recruitment, counselling and termination in the AMAQ Recruitment & Termination Kit.

FACT + Sheets on the various types of leave (for example, sick leave, annual leave, long service leave, and entitlements in respect of each type of leave) are also available.

Policy and Procedures

Practitioners can purchase a copy of AMA Queensland's two HR Policy & Procedure Manuals:
HR Policy & Procedures Manual (Queensland Version)

To assist them with the development and implementation of policies and procedures designed to meet operational needs as well as legal requirements. Pro-forma letters of appointment for staff are contained in each Manual.

The Manuals are available for a competitive fee. Training is regularly conducted to complement material contained in the manual.

Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S)

AMA Queensland has also developed a WH&S Manual that details the many WH&S considerations of medical practice. This includes the legislative framework in Queensland, infection control guidelines, hazards and their management, sterilisation, workers' compensation and waste disposal and storage.

The manual is available for a competitive fee and day-long training is conducted to provide a practical guide on the topic of WH&S.

Directory of Members

AMA Queensland produces, on an annual basis, a Directory of Members publication that is distributed to members as part of their membership. The Directory lists GP members and Specialist members - with their consent to do so - and is a useful document for patient care and referral purposes.

Medico-legal Guidelines

AMA Queensland publishes medico-legal guidelines in its annual Directory of Members. The guidelines provide assistance to doctors approached by a third party for reports, examinations and attendance as a witness in personal injury cases.

Privacy Information Kit

The AMA Queensland produced kit contains pro-forma privacy compliance documents as well as general information about the privacy legislation. Contents include:

1. Privacy Guidelines and Terminology
2. National Privacy Principles - Privacy Act 1998
3. Sample Statement - Collection of Patient
4. Information
5. Sample Statement - Privacy Policy
6. Sample Brochure - Accessing Medical Records
7. Sample Patient Application To Access Medical Records
8. Sample Letter to Patient Acknowledging Receipt of Request
9. Sample Letter to Patient Refusing Access to Medical Records
10. Sample Letter To Practice Staff Privacy Legislation
11. Sample Staff Checklist - Requests for Access
12. Sample Confidentiality Agreement - Employee
13. Sample Confidentiality Agreement - Contractor

The Kit is free for financial members.

Australian Workplace Agreements

Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) are individual agreements that allow employers and employees to enter into more flexible employment arrangements. An AWA can override clauses of a relevant NAPSA, but must comply with the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard (as the minimum).
AMA Queensland has four (4) AWA Templates available for private medical practices seeking to confirm terms and conditions of employment for staff in any of the following positions/occupations:

Medical Administration / Clerical
Nursing
Practice Manager
Medical Practitioner (employed not contractor)

These AWA Templates have been drafted to comply with the many industrial requirements of the current federal Workplace Relations Act 1996.

Each AWA Template is available for the nominal fee of $275 (incl GST) for financial members (as at June 2006). Higher rates apply for non-members.

There are additional fees if you would like AMA Queensland to implement the AWAs and/or make amendments to a Template to suit your individual requirements.

Consultancies

With many considerations for running a medical practice, financial members can seek assistance with several of the main, legal considerations:

> Workplace Health and Safety Assessments of your workplace and the provision of a thorough report detailing compliance problems and resolutions
> Drafting of Australian or Qld Workplace Agreements to allow for legal and flexible working arrangements to suit the medical practice environment
> IR Compliance Assessments to determine compliance with legal Time and Wages recording requirements including pay slips and contracts
> Theft and Fraud Investigations to assess a practice's cash management system from the appointment phase right through to the issue of receipts - for the purposes of identifying monetary discrepancies.

Representation

AMA Queensland staff can represent members in the following jurisdictions:
Queensland or Australian Industrial Relations Commission proceedings
Representation for doctors in disciplinary meetings/interviews with staff
Representation in other circumstances (e.g. doctors facing Queensland Health processes, Medicare Australia, Health Rights Commission,
and to a limited extent, the Medical Board of Queensland
Industrial Magistrates Court
Public Service Commission

Training

Division staff regularly present training on a wide range of employment and practice management topics such as WH&S, policy and procedures, recruitment, conflict management, negotiation, Awards, time and wages records, and privacy.

Training may also be arranged by Divisions of General Practice, Local Medical Associations, and by groups of practitioners / practice managers.

Modules are:
Clerical Employees' Award - State
Communication
Counselling, Discipline and Termination processes
Dealing with Difficult Patients
Dealing with Patient Complaints
HR Policies and Procedures
Medico-Legal Issues facing medical practice
Negotiation and Conflict Management
Nurses' Award - State
Performance Management and Reward Systems
Privacy - the legislation and its practical application
Recruitment and Selection
Time and Wages record keeping requirements
Unfair Dismissals - the traps for employers
Workplace Bullying
Workplace Health and Safety
Workplace Industrial Relations

AMA Queensland also runs a Medico-Legal Education Day which is a full day of training for medical practitioners. Presenters include legal practitioners and doctors.

For further information regarding the resources available through AMA Queensland, please contact:

Joanna Minchinton
Manager - Workplace Relations and Legal
Phone: (07) 3872 2222

Email: j.minchinton@amaq.com.au