Employment information
CONTENTS
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Rosters (intranet access only)
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Job Descriptions for Junior Medical Posts
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Other Employment Information
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What is the Relief Roster? What do I do when I'm on Relief?
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Medical Indemnity for Junior Doctors
Rosters (Intranet access only)
Job Descriptions for Junior Medical Posts
Other Employment Information:
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Summary of on-call policy (for posts in the paediatric training program)
- Message from Head of JMS Department re oncall
Job Descriptions for Rural / Regional Advanced Training Jobs:
Note: The Geelong Paediatric Fellow position is NOT currently accredited for 'rural' training under the General Paediatrics SAC. Please confirm accreditation of any of these posts before accepting a job!
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Sale Rural Community Paediatric Fellow
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Shepparton Rural Community Fellow training program
Message from Director of the Junior Medical Staff about being on-call
Those of you who are on the rotating resident and registrar rosters will have times when you are rostered 'on call'. Please take this as seriously as the times when you are rostered to work. This roster is the buffer we have against last minute illness in our trainees and is important. We work hard to avoid using it unless absolutely necessary, by trying to cover all except last minute absences using the relief system, and by usually requiring units to cover themselves for weekday gaps. Therefore, when we need to call the on call person, we NEED to call the on call person and we need them to be easily contactable and able to work.
This means that you are responsible for being able to work and contactable when on call. You are responsible for being able to work and contactable when you are on call. It is your responsibility to know when you are on call and to be able to work and contactable. This may include being sure your phone is working, that switch have your current number, that your mobile is switched on, that you have your pager on you etc. Very occasionally we will find ourselves in the situation where the on call person has also become sick at the last minute and when contacted is unable to work. I cannot see a way around this other than the major step of creating a second on call system (not something that is planned).
Under all other circumstances (eg you have swapped a job / shift / week, you have a social arrangement, your pager has run out of batteries, you have been unwell for a few days) you need to behave as if the on call shift were a working day; ie make arrangements for a swap, get your pager batteries fixed or call switch with your mobile number, or tell medical staffing IN ADVANCE that you are ill and will not be able to work should you be called. This is a professional responsiblity and failure to live up to it is considered in the same way as failure to turn up to work would be. I am informed of all cases where trainees are not readily available where on call. This includes times where they have forgotten they were on, or that they swapped, or that they didn't hear the phone, or left their pager in the car. I follow up these cases and they are taken seriously, including providing formal written warnings of unprofessional conduct.
These occurences are very unusual and the vast majority of you are available and cheerful about coming in when called. Thanks for that, and thanks to those who work short-handed or pick up gaps when you are not rostered on. This flexibility allows us some ability to support your colleagues who are ill or need personal time off or have other crises. I appreciate your professionalism and willlingness to help.
Regards
Margot Nash
What is the relief roster ? What do I do when I'm on Relief?
What is the “relief roster”? This is our in house “locum” service to cover roster gaps, unexpected leave, exam leave, conference leave, stress leave and sick leave. Therefore it can be UNPREDICTABLE!!
The system has been created to make it easier on those who need unexpected leave, and ease the pressure on the doctors who are still working. It is separate from the on-call system that covers after-hours positions at extra short notice (above).
The bottom line is you should expect to be working in your relief term - it is not a holiday.
When rostered to relief, you may be asked to work in any post at RCH or at our secondment hospitals. We will give you as much notice as we can. One registrar is rostered to ‘on-call relief’ each week, and they are expected to be available for any after hours vacancies in that week, at short notice. For the other relief registrars and residents, if we give you at least one weeks’ notice, you will be expected to fill the vacated roster as written, including after hours/weekend shifts, unless otherwise agreed with the Medical Workforce Unit.
We will always try to cover the most essential thing, or cross cover where able and juggle everyone around - but it is complicated. Please do not get cross or be rude to the Medical Workforce Unit staff or other junior medical staff if asked to help out on relief, or if asked to come in when On-Call.
In the event that there are no clinical vacancies, then relief staff may be deployed as extra staff in a department.
If you are not allocated, you can use the time for educational purposes. As a default we have arranged that you should attend the anaesthetic department (see below). If you wish to pursue other educational opportunities you should discuss this with MWU in advance. You will need to keep your pager with you and remain available for any vacancies that arise.
What do I have to do leading up to and during relief weeks?
- You will be notified by email from Medical Workforce Unit (MWU) of any allocations during your relief period when the allocations are made – this may as much as a couple of months in advance.
- If you have not heard of any allocation two weeks before you are due to commence relief, contact Tracy Waller ext 5144 or email tracy.waller@rch.org.au to check whether any allocation has been made. If you are still unallocated at this time tentative plans may be made regarding deployment as above.
- Where possible, collect a pager from MWU on the Friday afternoon prior to commencing relief (if this is not possible, then pick it up on the Monday morning). Plans for the week are to be confirmed at this time.
- If deployed to fill a vacancy, then attend the handovers relevant for that unit.
- If attending the anaesthetics department, report to the In Charge Anaesthetist at theatre at 0745am. They will allocate you to a theatre list or the pain management service.
- When you finish your time on relief, return the pager to the MWU – do NOT leave in the residents’ quarters as it will be needed by another doctor the following week.
If you encounter any problems with the relief roster, please contact Rosie Murphy (CRMO, p4442) or Tracy Waller (ext 5144)
Medical Indemnity for Junior Doctors
The Royal Children's Hospital medical staff are provided medical indemnity by their employer, the Hospital. This indemnity provides medical malpractice cover for acts and omissions of medical staff in respect of public and private patients which occur during the course of their employment by the hospital.
The policy does not cover the costs of legal representation at Coroner's Inquests, Medical Board hearings or other legal inquiries where you may need legal advice and or representation. Therefore, it is recommended that medical staff take out appropriate cover for these costs with a medical defence organisation or indemnifier.
The Royal Children's Hospital will support staff through the medico legal office.
