The VHIA is conducting a survey to collate financial data to cost the new classification structures that have just been agreed with the Union. These structures can be found on our web site in the members only pages at Documents -> Campaigns -> EB2007 (login first).

It is vitally important for our members that these surveys are completed and returned to the VHIA as soon as possible as the Department of Health will not agree to our public sector agreement being varied or funds being released until the costing exercise has been completed. This is because translation to the new structures is subject to a Department funding cap of $2 million. The new classification structures will not be implemented until the current public sector agreement is varied to include them.

Union reps and members are asked to organize a key member in each discipline within your health service to complete the survey. This data should then be provided to HR with a copy to us. An industrial officer will ring a key job rep from each major health service before the Xmas break to clarify how the data is to be collected. However it will not be possible to ring every health service in this time frame. Therefore in smaller services, particularly community health services where the new structures will have particular application, members/job reps are asked to contact us by phone or email if assistance is required.

Please note that the due date for return of the survey to the VHIA is Friday 10 December 2010. The feedback we have received so far is that there has been a very poor response and that only a handful of surveys have been returned. Some health services are reporting finding difficulty in providing the information required. It is therefore likely that they may need assistance to ensure that survey forms are returned expeditiously. The active involvement of our reps will therefore greatly assist the completion of this process and implementation of the new classification structures.