1 day Ago By Gabriel Fowler
DOCTORS at John Hunter Hospital will join their colleagues across the state in a three-day strike next week, putting elective surgeries and outpatient clinics on-hold. Login or signup to continue reading Doctors say they are fed up and allege that staffing shortages, low pay and excessive workloads in public hospitals have reached critical levels. They plan to take industrial action despite the threat of fines.
The Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation (ASMOF) said on Wednesday (April 2) it would continue three days of planned industrial action starting Tuesday (April 8) despite industrial court orders to desist. The rare walk-out will see public hospital staffing reduced to public holiday levels or 'skeleton' staffing, meaning emergency departments and critical care units would remain staffed. ASMOF President Dr Nicholas Spooner said patient safety would not be compromised.
"If you or your family need urgent medical care at any hospital across NSW, our doctors and medical staff will be there to provide it," Dr Spooner said. "Emergency departments and critical care units will remain fully staffed." Dr Spooner said doctors had been left with no choice but to strike because they were exhausted, burnt out and leaving the public sector.
"We are working dangerously long hours, including 16-hour back-to-back shifts with barely any rest, and often covering multiple roles due to chronic staff shortages," Dr Spooner said. "These conditions are unsafe for doctors and unsafe for patients. We've been negotiating in good faith for months, but the Government is still refusing to fix this crisis.
" The union also claims there has been a lack of engagement by the State Government in negotiations. "Striking is a last resort for us, and we are doing this so the Premier might finally listen and act," Dr Spooner said. The elective surgery wait list in the Hunter New England region has blown out to 13,180 people, the worst result on record, according to the most recent data for the October quarter last year.
More than 640 patients waited longer than recommended for surgery while NSW Ambulance activity in Newcastle showed 11,502 responses, the highest number on record. Community health & welfare, social justice, investigations, court, general news.gabriel.
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