Salaried doctors have accused the Queensland government of being more concerned about them taking annual leave than cutting hospital waiting lists.Queensland Health has demanded doctors working in the public system use up a massive backlog of accrued leave to take pressure off the health budget and fend off fatigue.But hospitals are already under pressure with elective surgery lists rising by 15 per cent and consultations by 50 per cent in the past three years.Salaried Doctors Queensland (SDQ), which is about to start talks over a new certified agreement, said the government appeared more concerned about doctors taking leave than waiting lists."It should never have been allowed to get to this stage," SDQ president Dr Don Kane said.Some doctors have suggested the government pay out leave.Opposition health spokesman John-Paul Langbroek said while everyone was entitled to take leave, it was irresponsible for the health minister to force surgeons in public hospitals to take long holidays when there were so many sick Queenslanders waiting for care."The minister can't shut down surgeries because of poor management and budgetary requirements - he has a duty to sick Queenslanders," Mr Langbroek said.Queensland Health acting director-general Dr Andrew Wilson said the department was concerned about doctor fatigue."It is important that our doctors take their annual leave for their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of the patients they are treating," Dr Wilson said."We understand there are pressures on our doctors to continue working throughout the year due to our waiting lists and that some doctors have accumulated large leave balances."Where a doctor has accumulated a long period of leave, it can be easier to have the doctor take it as large blocks in order to employ a locum doctor for a reasonable period of time. Services can then be continued with less disruption to patients."Dr Wilson said the government was prevented by regulation from paying out leave for public servants.He said the government had instituted an Alert Doctors Strategy to better manage fatigue. AAP