The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) yesterday responded off the heels of the Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA) threatening to strike because of an unproductive meeting last week.
In a release, The PHA said that it “wishes to reiterate for the record that the Authority has continued to negotiate in good faith with the CPSA, offering significant improvements in existing benefits”.
They added, “the PHA is satisfied in the fact that it has done everything on its part to move negotiations forward, while also addressing specific concerns levelled by the CPSA regarding working conditions at our institutions”.
The authority also assured significant attention was given to the needs of all of its locations and “has developed capital plans for each.
“Over the past several months, significant improvements to PMH facilities have been underway, including major roof repairs, interim remediation of the AC system within the Operating Theatres – which has been fully functional over past 2 months with no issues, and a major infrastructural and equipment overhaul of the Radiology Department”.
The authority said, “having received and reviewed the CPSA’s proposal, the PHA has offered to establish a number of consultative committees to improve the dialogue between the parties, provided significant improvement in existing benefits to the CPSA.”
This will include medical insurance, subsidized mobile telephony, a doctors’ lounge, payment of casual mileage, access to a defined benefit contribution plan, and a pay package over the five- year period of this proposed agreement that would result in a 16.5% increase in base pay compensation for the CPSA members, improving their hourly base pay to an amount in excess of $56.00 per hour, which, the PHA said, is more than double the hourly base rate paid to junior doctors.
However, with all the generous offers on the table, the CPSA still made the decision to walk away.
The authority said, “The PHA wishes to advise that in the event of a withdrawal of services by members of the Consultant Physicians Staff Association, the PHA will take all necessary proactive measures to limit the impact on services rendered at our institutions.”
“It is the Authority’s hope that continued discussions would prove fruitful, and pave the way for future collaboration in the best interest of our clients and their loved ones.”, they added.
