Health employment directives

Queensland Health is committed to respecting, protecting and promoting the human rights of all people in Queensland.  Under the Human Rights Act 2019, Queensland Health has an obligation to make decisions and act in ways that are compatible with human rights.  When making a decision under a directive, policy or guideline, decision-makers must comply with that obligation.

Refer here for further information about the Human Rights Act 2019.

The Director-General may issue health employment directives (HED) setting conditions of employment for health service employees engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 to ensure consistency in application of employee entitlements.

A HED is binding on the health service employees to which it applies, and compliance is mandatory by Hospital and Health Services (HHS) and the Department of Health.

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01/16 | 01/18 | 02/18 | 03/18 | 05/18 | 04/20 | 06/20 | 05/21 | 09/21 | 11/21 | 03/22 | 04/22 | 06/22 | 07/22 | 01/23 | 03/23 | 04/23 | 05/23 | 06/23 | 01/24 | 02/24 | 03/24 | 04/24 | 05/24 | 06/24 |

A

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce: Interim wage increase - HED No. 07/22

Effective date: 14 December 2022
Application: This HED applies to all health service employees employed in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (EB1) 2019.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce classification structure and entitlements - HED No. 04/23

Effective date: 31 October 2023
Application: This HED applies to certain roles (as specified in HED) employed under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (EB1) 2019.

Application of Department of Health human resource policies to senior health service employees - HED No. 04/20

Effective date: 28 September 2020
Application: This directive applies to all senior health service employees engaged under the Act and working in Hospital and Health Services and the Department of Health.

Application of directives to employees engaged under certain awards – HED No. 01/18

Effective date: 23 January 2018
Application: This directive applies to specific health service employees** engaged under the Act in HHSs and the Department of Health.

** The directives applied in the HED to employees covered by the Nurses and Midwives (Queensland Health) Award - State 2015 applies to the following employees:

  • Higher duties - Public Service, Eventide Homes (Nurse Grade 5 and above) and Correctional Health Services
  • Locality allowances - Public Service, Eventide Homes, Correctional Health Services and Psychiatric Hospital (Nurse Grade 1 to Nurse Grade 8)

C

COVID-19: Special pandemic leave in lieu of sick or carer's leave – HED No. 03/22

Effective date: 7 September 2022
Application:  This HED applies to health service employees in hospital and health services (HHSs) and the Department of Health engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011.

E

Employee Entitlements - Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) deployments - HED No. 05/21

Effective date: 23 September 2021
Application: This HED applies to health service employees in a Hospital and Health Service and the Department of Health engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011.

Employee medical officer locums - HED No. 04/24

Effective date: 19 September 2024
Application: This HED applies to eligible medical officer employees (as defined) engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 in hospital and health services (HHSs) and Queensland Health (the department).

Employment framework – Dental Hygienists - HED No. 01/24

Effective date: 11 March 2024
Application: This HED applies to all Dental Hygienists employees engaged under the Act in Hospital and Health Services and Queensland Health (the department).

Employment framework – Students in Dentistry – HED No. 05/24

Effective date: 10 June 2024
Application: This HED applies to all Students in Dentistry employees engaged under the Act in Hospital and Health Services.

Employment framework – Students in Medicine – HED No. 05/23

Effective date: 21 November 2023
Application: This HED applies to all Students in Medicine employees engaged under the Act in Hospital and Health Services.

I

Interim private practice – senior medical officers – HED No. 01/23

Effective date: 2 June 2023
Application: This HED applies to all permanent and temporary senior medical officers in the department and hospital and health services, engaged under the Act, who have an existing granted private practice agreement (GPPA) in place immediately prior to the certification date of the Medical Officers’ (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (No. 6) 2022 (MOCA6).

M

Medical Officers with Private Practice (MOPP) and Medical Superintendents with Private Practice (MSPP) classification levels – HED No. 06/20

Effective date: 08 October 2020
Application: This HED applies to MOPPs and MSPPs, collectively referred to as Medical Practitioners with Private Practice (MPPPs), engaged under the Act in Hospital and Health Services and the Department of Health.

This HED does not have any impact on, or amend in any way, clause 13 ‘Classifications and minimum salary levels – senior medical officers’ of the Medical Officers’ (Queensland Health) Award – State 2015.

P

Physician assistants – HED No. 02/24

Effective date: 13 May 2024
Application: This HED applies to physician assistants and their supervising medical practitioners employed under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011.

R

Recognition of previous service for employees of Childrens Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service who have transitioned from the engaged service provider (Medirest) - HED No. 03/24

Effective date: 17 May 2024
Application: This HED applies to employees who were employed at Queensland Children’s Hospital through the engaged service provider (Medirest) and at the transition date become employed by the Director-General, Queensland Health and engaged under the Act.

S

Senior medical officers: Special remuneration arrangements – HED No. 03/23

Effective date: 1 November 2023
Application:  This health employment directive applies to senior medical officer employees in Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) and the Department of Health engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011.

Senior medical officers: Remuneration support – private practice diagnostic billing – HED No. 04/22

Effective date: 1 July 2022
Application: This directive applies to senior medical officer (SMO) employees in Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 and practicing in the medical disciplines of:

  • Radiology
  • Nuclear medicine
  • Diagnostic cardiology
  • Vascular medicine.

Special pandemic leave: Support following COVID-19 diagnosis – HED No. 06/22

Effective date: 1 November 2022
Application: This directive applies to health service employees in hospital and health services (HHSs) and the Department of Health engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011.

V

Vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) requirements – HED No. 01/16

Release date: 1 July 2016
Application: This directive applies to all health service employees engaged under the Act in Hospital and Health Services and the Department of Health

Additional information

Visiting medical officers: Fuel allowance – HED No. 02/18

Release date: 4 April 2018
Application: This directive applies to visiting medical officers who are employed under administratively applied remuneration conditions under the Act in Hospital and Health Services and the Department of Health.

Visiting medical officers: Professional development allowance – HED No. 03/18

Release date: 8 July 2018
Application: This directive applies to non-contracted visiting medical officer employees employed through a letter of engagement under the terms and conditions of employment specified in the letter, under the Act in Hospital and Health Services and the Department of Health

Visiting medical officers: Employment framework – HED No. 05/18

Release date: 3 October 2018
Application: This directive applies to all contracted and non-contracted visiting medical officer employees engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011.  This directive does not apply to visiting medical officers engaged as independent contractors.

Visiting medical officers: Grievance and Dispute Resolution Procedure – HED No. 09/21

Effective date: 3 August 2021
Application: This directive applies to all contracted and non-contracted visiting medical officer employees engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011.  This directive does not apply to visiting medical officers engaged as independent contractors.

Visiting medical officers: Interim arrangement - Wage increase – HED No. 11/21

Effective date: 1 September 2021
Application: This directive applies to visiting medical officer employees engaged under the following employment arrangements, under the Act in Hospital and Health Services and the Department of Health:
  1. Non-contracted visiting medical officers - employed through a letter of engagement under terms and conditions of employment specified in the letter; or
  2. Contract visiting medical officers - employed under continuing common law employment arrangements.

W

Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme - HED No. 06/23

Effective date:  30 November 2023 to 31 January 2025
Application: This health employment directive applies to eligible health workers (as defined) engaged under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 in hospital and health services (HHSs) and Queensland Health (the department).

Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme – Discontinuation and grandparenting arrangements - HED No. 06/24

Effective date: 1 February 2025
Application: This HED applies to eligible health workers (as defined in HED 02/23 and HED 06/23) engaged under the Hospital and Health Services Act 2011 in hospital and health services (HHSs) and Queensland Health (the department).

Last updated: 11 December 2024