Common use of Clinical Support Time Clause in Contracts

Clinical Support Time. 11.20.1 Queensland Health acknowledges medical education, training and research are part of its core business. 11.20.2 Clinical support is an essential part of the duties of a senior medical officer. 11.20.3 Clinical support time is protected time during ordinary hours for duties that are not directly related to individual patient care. Clinical support duties encompass most aspects of the teaching, research, clinical governance, administration and other work related activities undertaken by medical officers. It is important that clinical support time address Departmental needs and be determined in consultation with the respective Clinical Director. 11.20.4 As such, a minimum of 10% clinical support time will be available for the senior medical officer of each medical operational unit (within HHSs, the Department of Health, including Health Support Queensland and the Divisions) with allocation of clinical support time duties determined by the Clinical Director. It is the expectation that the distribution of clinical support time is a minimum of 10% allocated to individuals rather than on a collective basis. 11.20.5 Clinical support time is calculated as minimum of 10% of an SMO’s contracted ordinary hours per fortnight. It is the expectation that all SMOs will have access to clinical support time. Where this is not possible per fortnight SMOs are to be consulted and the clinical support time will be made available at an appropriate time. 11.20.6 Clinical support activities will be undertaken at the place of work unless approved otherwise by the Clinical Director. 11.20.7 Medical Officers will not derive an income from activities during clinical support time other than through Queensland Health. 11.20.8 The amount of clinical support time should be determined with reference to relevant factors including, but not limited to, College and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) guidelines, operational and administrative requirements. 11.20.9 While the amount of clinical support time will continue to be determined by these factors, the operation of this clause is intended to improve access to clinical support time for individual employees. 11.20.10 The parties acknowledge that clinical support time is not intended to be used as a fatigue mitigation strategy.