1 week Ago By Jamieson Murphy
Hundreds of surgeries could be cancelled as doctors prepare to strike for 72 hours, the state's Health Minister says, including at John Hunter Hospital. 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. Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF) members will walk off the job from Tuesday to Thursday, leaving public hospital staffing at public holiday levels or 'skeleton' staffing, meaning emergency departments and critical care units would remain staffed.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the union's industrial action would be in breach of the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) orders to cease organised labour actions for the next three months. "Despite what the doctors' unions say, we will see patient's wellbeing and safety impacted," Mr Park said. "You simply can't have thousands of doctors threatening to walk off the job out of hospitals without having an impact on patient care.
" Mr Park said during the recent industrial action by NSW nurses, hundreds of surgeries across the state were cancelled, including 700 in a single day. "So the likely impact of this action over a three day period is significant. In addition to that, our emergency departments are going to be running on reduced staff," he said.
"It is inexplicable ASMOF would actively choose to jeopardise patient safety over resolving its claim in the IRC. "I say to ASMOF, it is not too late to return to the IRC." ASMOF is demanding a pay rise of up to 30 per cent over an unspecified period to match wages in other states.
The government has offered 10.5 per cent over three years. Mr Park said the doctors' demands would cost taxpayers $11 billion over four years, however ASMOF president Nicholas Spooner said the government was "choosing to mislead the public with inflated figures".
Dr Spooner said doctors planned to take industrial action despite the threat of fines and disciplinary action. "Intimidation is not negotiation, and doctors will not be silenced," Dr Spooner said. "Let me be clear: this strike is happening because doctors care deeply about their patients and the future of our public health system.
"Our members take their duty to patient care very seriously, and we will not take action that compromises patient safety." Newcastle Herald news director. Former Tamworth concrete cowboy and Parliament House press gallery hack.
Interested in any and all yarns.Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@newcastleherald.
com.au Newcastle Herald news director. Former Tamworth concrete cowboy and Parliament House press gallery hack.
Interested in any and all yarns.Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@newcastleherald.
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