1 week Ago By Damon Cronshaw
Hunter doctors say they're striking to highlight "unsafe working conditions, chronic under-resourcing and systemic failure" in the hospital system . Login or signup to continue reading Doctors' union members - on strike from Tuesday to Thursday - are also pushing for better conditions. The doctors will hold a rally at John Hunter Hospital on Wednesday, despite the Ministry of Health warning them against "unlawful industrial action".
"There is no 'right' to take industrial action when orders against this [in the Industrial Relations Commission] have been issued," one internal email said. One doctor told the Newcastle Herald it felt like doctors were being intimidated against speaking publicly on the matter. "They're threatening people's registration for even discussing strike action," the doctor said.
"So I've collated anonymous accounts from doctors that highlight the system failures driving this industrial action." Incidents and concerns included: The doctor said strike action was called after a proposal to force doctors to "relocate anywhere in NSW and work weeks of up to 80 hours." The doctors' union - the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation - is pushing for a 30 per cent pay rise.
The government has offered 10.5 per cent over three years. "Doctors are relatively well paid, but this isn't about money.
When unpaid overtime is factored in, the hourly rate becomes modest," the doctor said. "NSW doctors are the lowest paid in the country. Up to 50 per cent less.
" Dr Alexander Whitfield, the doctors' union Hunter delegate, will speak at Wednesday's rally. "The number one issue in NSW hospitals is no safe working conditions and no fatigue management," Dr Whitfield said. "The union has been talking about doctors working 14 days in a row and 16-hour shifts.
"I'm also concerned about doctors being 72 hours on call and being awake and working for 50 hours in a row. From a human rights issue, we need to sort that out." Dr Whitfield said the hospital system's decline "started about a decade ago".
"Successive governments have not been keeping up with the needs of our community," he said. "It's not purely on the modernisation of the healthcare workforce and practice. It's basic stuff they've not kept up with.
"Ten years ago in emergency departments, we were emptying the waiting room - particularly at night shift. Now we've got patients waiting 12 hours." Dr Whitfield said this was "more than just staffing".
"It's a state problem, but it's also a federal problem. There's a lot of stuff that has to change." Asked if the health system needed a massive injection of funding, he said "it's absolutely true".
"To deliver healthcare at a 21st-century standard, it's very expensive. "Everyone is pretending like we can keep doing more and more with the same. We cannot.
" NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said on Tuesday about 3500 doctors had "so far taken industrial action" across the state. "We've also cancelled around 370 surgeries and we've closed 21 beds," Mr Park said. He added that about 400 outpatient clinics and services had been cancelled.
"I understand that doctors are frustrated with the difference in their wages compared to other jurisdictions. "What I cannot do is resolve 12 years of wage suppression in a single year. That is not possible.
" Health and medicine, science, research, nutrition. Email: [email protected].
au Health and medicine, science, research, nutrition. Email: [email protected].
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