Huge perks for public sector doctors
A reader writes in:
All the doctors, dentists and specialists working in clinical positions for Health NZ and the Ministry of Health get generous leave and expenses for so-called professional development – which is often an overseas conference in an exotic location – flying business class and staying in a premium hotel. I have this on good authority from someone who processes the claims! This leave and generous allowance which can accumulated for two or more years.
See p25 of this collective agreement agreement:
The $16,000 annual allowance is subject to FBT at 49.25% or 63.93% so the cost to the taxpayer is at least $23,880. Plus there is the 10 days leave which is likely to cost at least another $6,000 – so pretty much at least $30,000 a year for all these staff working for Health NZ. I understand that Ministry of Health staff who are doctors, specialists or dentists get $12,000 per year to spend similarly.
It might be argued that the allowance and leave is necessary to attract qualified staff, but surely it would be better to add a lesser amount to the annual salary and let them spend it how they like – or limit the use of the allowance to actual training costs. How much benefit is there to the NZ health system in specialists and dentists jetting off to overseas conferences?
I don’t think anyone would disagree with doctors undertaking professional development – but this is mostly a perk with dubious benefits. I heard how a medical professional at the Ministry of Health used their allowance to go to this:
What would be interesting is to find out what locations people have gone to using this taxpayer funded perk. I suspect there are few in poor, cold countries and many in very warm locations!