DENTISTS IMPOSE BANS

PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION

At 4pm yesterday, Public Sector Dentists attended a stop work meeting at the PSA. The stop work meeting was a result of the Health Department's (DH) decision to cancel a meeting scheduled earlier in the day at which DH were to advise of the Chief Executive's, Dr Tony Sherbon, decision regarding an improved Dental Officers pay structure.

Members had been more than willing to enter into discussions with the Department in good faith, however, the cancellation of an agreed upon meeting is unacceptable. Members are extremely disappointed that the Department is not taking the recruitment and retention of public dentists seriously.

Subsequently, members at yesterday's stop work meeting unanimously endorsed the following industrial bans:

“Dentists (clinical or management) involved in communities/groups (internal or external to the Organisation), the purpose of which is related to quality, OHS or risk management, cease participation on such groups indefinitely from 20 June 2007”.

“Dentists involved in the tutoring of undergraduate dentists or Bachelor of Oral Health students or TAFE Dental Assistants within Statewide Clinics and/or Adelaide Dental Hospital Clinics where this tutoring role is not their core duty (i.e. not covered within their job and person specification), cease those duties as of

20 June 2007”.

“Dentists involved in the mentoring of dentists with limited dental board registration cease their mentoring role as of 20 June 2007”.

Clearly, the entire State Dental Service has been prevented from falling apart by the dedicated work of members. However, the problem is worsening, with more and more dentists leaving the Service each year.

Enough is enough. The South Australian community deserves better. The PSA and its members are committed to securing an outcome that firstly recruits dentists to the State Public Sector, but secondly keeps them there.

PSA WORKING FOR YOU