The Hospital Authority will consider granting increments to doctors employed after June 15, 2002, who, under the current practice, would only be eligible for one increment every two years during their contract term of service.

The move follows suggestions from a staff working group made up of frontline doctors, which werediscussed at the authority's administrative and operational meeting today.

The group also recommends linking any increases to performance. Another key suggestion is to extend residents' contract to nine years.

The authority's board members noted its Human Resources Committee would soon get similar proposals for all staff work groups.

Cut working hours

The authority is also determined to take proactive steps to address doctors' long working hours, an issue that has been a management concern all along.

In the next three years, the authority intends to bring down doctors' weekly working hours to no more than 65 hours per week for all doctors. To achieve this target, it may restructure call duties, offer flexi-hours duty and cross-specialty call coverage.

The authority's board agreed these initiatives are positive in general and may be able to address some staff concerns.