Since the creation ofthe new Health Services Authority in July 2002, reports of incentivesschemes and contractual matters gave rise to ...
Health Staff Concerns
In an effort to make the new Health ServicesAuthority (HSA) more efficient, medical practitioners are beingencouraged to assist the new board in creating a number of incentiveschemes.
Chairmanof the Health Services Authority, Mr. Kel Thompson
Cayman Net News understandsthat some members of the HSA board met with a number of medicalstaff last week and there were discussions about various waysin which departments and personnel could be more productive.
Informed sources said that members of staffwere asked to submit their incentive ideas, some of which havebeen forwarded to the new board which is scheduled to meet nextTuesday.
A medical official who requested anonymitytold Cayman Net News: "The meeting with the boardwas really a brain-storming session at which ideas were tossedback and forth about productivity incentives and increasing revenue,but nothing was, or has been, fixed."
The official said it was "generallyrecognised" that the Health Services Department was "verycostly and that ways must be found to reduce expenses".
It was revealed that some doctors even suggestednew practices, including reorganising their sessions.
Meantime, sources also disclosed that inrecent times, and at last week's meeting, some medical staff haveexpressed concern about their security of tenure and terms andconditions of service.
"Since the change from the Health ServicesDepartment to the Health Services Authority effective July 1,some people are naturally sensitive about how their terms andconditions will be impacted upon, given that they are no longerCivil Servants and their contracts have been shifted to a neworganisation," the medical official explained.
When contacted about the new incentive schemesand concerns raised by medical staff, Mr. Kel Thompson, chairmanof the Health Services Authority said he will not be commentingat this time.
"Although I am the only person authorisedto speak on behalf of the board, my approach would be to consultwith other members before commenting to the Press one way or another,"he said.
Two weeks ago, Minister of Health Services,the Hon. Gilbert McLean held a meeting with health practitionersat which he outlined Government's commitment to enhancing thestructure and performance of the Health Services Authority.
He noted then, that Government would ensurethat the health of the public is protected and promoted throughmore detailed and sophisticated regulation of health care professionalsand institutions.
"We are continuing towards the goalof ensuring that the practices, procedures and actions of allhealth practitioners take place within a framework that upholdsthe highest professional and ethical standards, " he saidthen.