Common use of Underlying Principles Clause in Contracts

Underlying Principles. ‌ 1.1 The parties acknowledge the fundamental importance of the need to promote and establish distributive clinical leadership within the workplace consistent with the principles of engagement in the Time for Quality agreement between the Association and all District Health Boards (refer Clause 2) and the associated need to establish effective employer-employee partnerships, based on good faith, mutual respect and constructive engagement. 1.2 Accordingly the parties will actively promote and encourage open discussion and collegial and collective responses to workplace challenges and issues. 1.3 Employee participation in district health board annual and strategic planning is essential for achieving patient centred care. Employee engagement, in conjunction with other appropriate employees not covered by this agreement in strategic and service planning is necessary including about: • Patient and whanau centred care • Effective utilisation of resources including team work • Complexities of the planning process 1.4 The parties recognise that employees are constrained by their ethical and professional obligations and public expectations not to refuse treatment to patients in need of their professional skills. 1.5 The parties acknowledge the increasingly demanding environment in which employees are required to practise. Accordingly the parties undertake to do what they reasonably can to ensure the workplace is well resourced, professionally supportive and conducive to a very high standard of clinical practice. 2 Time for Quality‌ The parties note the Tripartite Process involving the Government, the DHBs and the Council of Trade Union affiliated unions which is based on the Health Sector Relationship Agreement and which includes the Time for Quality Document. Consistent with this relationship the principles of engagement are as follows: • Employee/management partnership is founded on teamwork and respect. • Managers will support employees to provide leadership in service design, configuration and best practice service delivery. • Managers will support employees to ensure recognised competency and credentialing standards are met. • Managers and employees affirm that quality care drives the system to optimise patient outcomes. • Managers and employees will collaborate to meet both the “patient test” and the “whanau test” which means the patient experience is optimised for the patient and in a culturally appropriate way. • Managers and employees explicitly agree that decision-making and responsibility will be devolved to the appropriate level. • Managers and employees accept that there will be some services that can more appropriately be delivered regionally or nationally to effectively meet patient needs. • Employees will support managers to operate services within the resources available.