Every hospital in NSW should have enforceable limits on working hours, guaranteed access to leave and a culture that supports speaking up about unsafe conditions.
The Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation of NSW has called on the state government to end unsafe hours for doctors working in public hospitals, following news of another junior doctor dying by suicide.
The ABC reported on the death of a 30-year-old junior medical officer working in the Hunter New England Local Health District who was a registrar in Newcastle in 2021 when he took his own life while on sick leave.
Apart from concerns about excessive rostered hours and limited or no ability to take annual leave, the doctor had lodged a complaint raising concerns about patient care while working at Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital in February 2020.
He believed he was penalised for whistleblowing and subsequently moved to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, where he was denied a request to take annual leave despite having more than 11 weeks owed to him after four years’ service with NSW Health.
He took sick leave in November 2021, returned to work a week before Christmas, but had his roster changed from day shift to night shift, against the return-to-work plan recommended by his doctor.
He went back on sick leave but was contacted by the hospital twice after three days to talk about returning to work.
By the time he received an email telling him there would be “no more inappropriate rostering”, he had taken his own life.
“When a young doctor takes their own life after months of exhaustion, guilt and pressure, that is not a personal failing, that represents an unacceptable failure of the NSW health system,” said ASMOF president Dr Nick Spooner.
“Doctors, including those performing brain surgery, are expected to provide safe care to patients while working shifts that would be absolutely illegal to impose on a truck driver or a pilot.
“It’s absolutely indefensible, and urgent action must be taken.
“Every hospital in NSW should have enforceable limits on working hours, guaranteed access to leave and a culture that supports speaking up about unsafe conditions.”
ASMOF said the Minns government should urgently act to end unsafe hours and bring forward comprehensive reform of staffing and fatigue management as part of the award reform.
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“We cannot keep losing bright, compassionate people to a system that drives them to breaking point,” said Dr Spooner.
“Doctors are doing everything they can to hold this broken NSW health system together. The Minns government must now do its part and urgently act to protect the people who protect us.”
HSD reached out to NSW Health and the office of health minister Ryan Park, and received the following statement from Mr Park:
“Our junior doctors play a vital role in our hospitals and health workforce,” he said.
“I understand the pressures many doctors face, particularly those early in their careers.
“We owe it to our doctors, in all stages of their careers, to foster workplaces that value wellbeing, compassion, and balance.
“My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the individual who died by suicide.
“Hunter New England Local Health District undertakes extensive work to proactively support
staff wellbeing throughout their careers within the NSW public health system.”
In February junior doctors in the LHD went out on strike over a leaked email from an HNE LHD staff member calling them “marshmallows”.
