News
AMA (WA) Bargaining Information Sessions connect doctors statewide
Thursday September 5, 2024
- Successful meetings statewide on WA Health Second Offer
- Hundreds of doctors took part in meetings at metropolitan hospitals
- Hospitals in the North-West and South-West regions also visited, strengthening connections with rural doctors
The AMA (WA) Bargaining Committee representatives and Industrial Relations (IR) team have been actively engaging with doctors across Western Australia both online and on-site, to discuss the WA Health Second Offer.
These sessions held between 16 and 30 August provided an opportunity for doctors — both members and non-members — to meet face-to-face with our team, ask questions, and learn more about the bargaining process and the specifics of the offer.
Metropolitan Area Visits
In the metropolitan area, our team visited key hospitals, including Royal Perth Hospital, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth Children’s Hospital, Fiona Stanley Hospital, and Armadale Hospital. Hundreds of doctors participated in these sessions, with many expressing concerns about ongoing fatigue management risks arising from frequent calls and associated work while away from the hospital. A particular highlight was our visit to Armadale Hospital, where we connected with many engaged doctors for the first time in a long time and discussed the unique challenges faced by those working at outer metropolitan sites.
North-West Region Visits
Our sessions also took us to the North-West, including Geraldton, Karratha, Hedland, and Broome. From 25 to 29 August, we visited hospitals in these remote areas, meeting with our rural members to discuss the offer, answer questions and learn more about the challenges of working in these regions. We received a lot of valuable feedback, particularly regarding the difficulties in attracting and retaining quality practitioners. The warm welcome we received at each site, including the RFDS bases in Broome and Kalgoorlie, as well as Kalgoorlie Health Campus on 23 August, highlighted the importance of these visits in strengthening our connections with doctors in regional areas, especially since these were some of the first visits in a long time for the AMA (WA) to these regions.
South-West Region Visits
On our tour in the South-West we visited Rockingham, Peel, and Bunbury hospitals on 26 and 27 August. Here, we met with over 40 doctors, discussing the draft enterprise Agreement. The junior doctors we spoke with were particularly pleased with the offer, and our meeting with HR at Bunbury Hospital provided a great opportunity to work collaboratively with hospital management.
The Bargaining Information Sessions were a successful experience overall, where we clarified many details of the new offer and heard directly from doctors across the State about their experiences and concerns. It also resulted in many new members joining our ranks, and we are delighted to welcome them aboard.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the new Agreement, please visit our dedicated Industrial Agreement Bargaining page, or get in touch with the AMA (WA) Industrial Relations team at industrial@amawa.com.au.
