Queensland's health minister says senior medical specialists won't be forced on to individual contracts as doctors threaten to leave the state's public health system.
Doctors have revived a "Pineapple Group" to oppose plans to place senior medical officers on individual contracts, and are gearing up to campaign against the ruling Liberal National Party at this Saturday's Redcliffe by-election.
But Health Minister Lawrence Springborg says what individuals decide is a matter for them, as doctors at hospital industrial meetings across the state vote against being moved from a collective agreement to individual contracts.
"We're not going to force people to be a part of something that they feel uncomfortable about," he told ABC Radio on Thursday.
"We will deal with those things as we need to deal with them."
He added that many public health specialists on contracts weren't complaining.
"There are lots of doctors out there that are not worked up about this at all," he said.
The minister has also defended his decision to put a nurse in charge of the Queensland Medical Board, but admitted some doctors were unhappy about the appointment of University of Queensland associate professor Susan Young as the new chair.
"There is no doubt some people have a traditional view of these things, as you know of me I don't work in a traditional paradigm," he said.
"There is some doctors who would be quite dissatisfied about it."
