The Technical Officer to Hospital Scientist Conversion Award is now in full swing with hundreds of applications being made, with some requests having been accepted and some members receiving rejection letters.

Please contact HSU industrial staff if you are having issues with your request. by emailing [E-Mail not displayed]. There have been some technical difficulties with SARA which should be quickly resolved.

Rejected requests

Do not be surprised or give up if your application is rejected. This is just step one for the employer. The employer must convince your peers on the Transitional Committee to agree with their rejection or take your matter to the Industrial Relations Commission.

If your application has been rejected:

1. Ensure you refer your application to the Transitional Committee within 1 calendar month of being rejected.
   1. The Transitional Committee is made up of 2 HSU scientific delegates and 2 employer scientific delegates.
   2. To uphold your rejection, a majority of the Transitional Committee must agree that your rejection was fair and reasonable in all the circumstances.
   3. If the Committee does not agree with your employer, then you will be automatically converted to Hospital Scientist (unless the employer appeals to the Industrial Relations Commission and succeeds in that appeal).
2. If you can, address the reasons for the rejection in your referral to the Transitional Committee. This is not strictly required, but will likely assist the Committee.
3. There is a technical guide to referring your rejection to the Transitional Committee through SARA here: Referral to the Transitional Committee – Guide.
4. If the guide does not work i.e. the SARA form is not working, please use the email addresses listed in the guide to request your rejection is referred to the Transitional Committee or email the Ministry directly at: [E-Mail not displayed].
   1. In your email, make sure you ask specifically for the rejection to be sent to the Transitional Committee.
   2. You can also include information and documents addressing any reasons you say the rejection is not fair and reasonable in all the circumstances.
   3. This issue is more likely to happen to those that applied before 28 November 2024.
5. If you matter is ultimately referred to the Industrial Relations Commission, the HSU will be notified and will assist.

Seeking assistance

HSU industrial staff are addressing many questions and concerns from members regarding this process. You can use all the usual ways to contact the HSU, including by calling 1300 478 679, contacting your local organiser, or by emailing [E-Mail not displayed].

Further information

The Ministry of Health has provided some additional information here: Other employment information.

You can get more information here from the HSU:

1. The HSU’s information flyer
2. The Commissioner’s decision about the new Award