Aussie Mustachians - the future of Medicare Local?

[Primm]

Asking because a job has come up at my local centre that I would be the perfect fit for, and vice versa. And it's cycling distance from home. No shift work (really rare for nursing) and part time. Perfect.

But I'd be moving from a set in concrete job at a massive public hospital, basically a job for life as long as I want it (or another round of redundancies happens...) Security is a big thing for me. Really big. Out of the two the Medicare Local job would be my preference. BUT I'm not sure whether it's more of a gamble as far as long term security goes than where I am now.

Any thoughts?

[EngineerMum]

If Medicare Local did disappear, how hard would it be to get another job back in the public hospital system? I know the new hospitals opening here (in Perth) are basically limited in how many beds they can open due to the inability to hire sufficient staff, so surely getting a new job would be super easy.

[Primm]

Getting another job would be easy. Getting a permanent job, with all the associated benefits like professional development leave and salary sacrificing, in my specialty area? Next to impossible. Public health organisations are hiring like nobody's business at the moment, but they're all contracts. I don't know one nurse who's got a new permanent job in the last couple of years, not in a hospital anyway.

[marty998]

I thought they were being abolished???.....

[deborah]

I thought they were being abolished???.....

So did I - as part of the budget - see http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-15/health-budget-cuts-rural/5455036

So, it will be effectively a 12 month contract.

[Primm]

Thanks guys! I *thought* I'd heard something like that, which is why I was unsure.

Looks like I'm staying with my babies for the moment then. :)