News Flash

The PSA attends regular bi-monthly meetings with SA Dental Service Management and was represented by PSA Industrial Officer Margie Lindley at the meeting of Tuesday 22nd June 2010. The following key agenda items were discussed at the meeting:

Statewide Dental Service Postings
A draft memorandum has been prepared by SA Dental Service on the proposed relocation of staff within the metropolitan area associated with the implementation of the Government's GP Plus strategy. This paper was distributed to staff for consultation. The PSA was asked to make comments on an earlier paper and a number of these comments were included in the final version. It is proposed that the final version of the memorandum will be sent to all Statewide Dental Service staff shortly.

Radiation Licences and Radiation Licence Allowances to Dental Assistants
SA Dental Service advised the PSA that they are reviewing the principle of the payment of radiation licences to Dental Assistants. All affected Dental Assistants have been advised of the review. Currently, approximately 20 Dental Assistants receive allowances for radiation licences but it was considered that very few of these staff were required to take x-rays.  Radiation licences and allowances will only be paid by SA Dental Service for Dental Assistants in exceptional and site specific situations, where the clinic set up means that direct benefits to operational efficiency are delivered by the Dental Assistant taking radiographs.

A memo has been distributed to Dental Assistants for further information and consultation.

All comments and concerns will be discussed with SA Dental Service management.

Specialist Dentists
The PSA has been advised that 'in principle' support has been received from the Department of Health regarding the payment of an additional allowance to Dental Specialists and Visiting Dental Specialists. The SA Dental Service would fund the additional costs associated with these allowances.

Overtime and Timesheet Recording
The PSA has, for some time, been concerned about inappropriate record keeping and non payment of overtime within SA Dental Service.  After being advised of these practices by members, the PSA contacted SA Dental Service and discussions have taken place since September 2009. The PSA considered that in many cases the SA Dental Service had breached both the SA Public Sector Salaried Employees Interim Award and The Fair Work Act in that:

accurate records as required have not been met

managers are requiring staff to work in excess of their normal hours and without payment.

The PSA wrote to Dr Tony Sherbon, Chief Executive, Department of Health seeking assistance to ensure these matters were addressed.

SA Dental Service has since received advice from the Department of Health's Workforce Relations that:

Managers and supervisors must ensure that the time worked by staff is recorded appropriately. Staff should continue to record their standard rostered start, finish and hours worked in the 'Rostered Hours' columns in the Salaried 

Staff Timesheet.
Where staff work additional time this should be recorded in the 'Overtime Hours' columns and be appropriately authorised.
Additional time worked which is less than thirty (30) minutes in one day can accumulate over a week for overtime purposes.
Where more than a total of an additional thirty (30) minutes in one day or more than a total of 38 hours in a week (for a full time employee) has been worked and the additional time was approved prior to being worked, the employee is entitled to be paid overtime.
In circumstances where an employee works overtime and seeks to be granted time off in lieu (TOIL) for overtime, the authorisation of the manager or supervisor may be granted either before or after the working of the overtime.

SA Dental Service have distributed a memo to all Managers and Supervisors informing of this information.

Workload Issues
The PSA raised concerns expressed by members in regards to workload issues. In particular, concerns in the Adelaide Dental Hospital and for Dental Assistants in Statewide Dental Services who are working in the ratio 2:1. Dr Geoff Franklin stated that the data indicated that there were very few Dental Assistants who were working to this ratio but he has agreed to review this issue.

Reading Time for Policies/Procedures
The PSA expressed concerns that members did not have sufficient time allocated to read policies and procedures issued by SA Dental Service and emails forwarded from Department of Health or other official emails. The PSA highlighted that some clinics allocate one hour non clinical time e.g. half hour lunch and half hour to read policies, procedures and write up notes. Some clinics are not consistent and expect staff to read the policies within their half hour lunch time. The PSA requested that this be reviewed. SA Dental Service management noted this concern and advised that this issue would be discussed by the SA Dental Service Operational Management Group and report back to the PSA.