News

This year’s survey has shown some overall improvements in WA’s hospitals compared to the disastrous results of 2022, which featured no ‘A’ scores (and only one ‘B’) and a very high failure rate. Nevertheless, issues such as bullying, discrimination and harassment remain critical concerns in WA’s hospitals.

This year the methodology changed to capture data by Employer/Health Service Provider (HSP), reflective that DiTs apply to work for a HSP and may be placed at multiple sites.

DiTs, also referred to as junior doctors, form a large part of the medical workforce in Western Australian hospitals. They are often highly experienced doctors, making clinical decisions about patient care under the supervision of specialist doctors. The public hospital system, and increasingly the private hospitals, cannot function without them.

AMA (WA) President Dr Michael Page said improvements in results were a direct result of strong advocacy by the AMA (WA) and its Doctors in Training Practice Group in areas such as wage theft, roster compliance and mandatory training payments.

“Since last year’s disastrous survey results, the AMA (WA)’s Doctors in Training Practice Group has worked tirelessly to achieve better outcomes for junior doctors, which has had significant effects at HSPs such as North Metropolitan Health Service (NMHS),” he said.

“Changes such as more part-time positions and a streamlined overtime approval process have turned outcomes around across the board at NMHS. We would strongly encourage the other HSPs to look at innovative ways to improve the working conditions for their junior doctors in this time of a critical workforce shortage, or patient safety will deteriorate as more doctors burn out and leave the system.”

High burnout is prevalent across most sites, with NMHS ranking best and Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) ranking worst.

Dr Page said that was a worrying trend.

“Burnout has a direct impact on the attractiveness of our health system, both for our own crop of junior doctors, but also in terms of attracting doctors from interstate and overseas,” he said.

“Other jurisdictions such as Queensland are working much harder to attract doctors to their health systems, and failing to retain and attract doctors here will have a direct bearing on the ability of WA to continue to maintain a top-class health system. Access to care for Western Australian patients is only going to worsen if our State Government doesn’t take a serious look at what the other states are doing to attract and retain doctors.”

Best and Worst Employers

St John of God (SJOG) Healthcare is the best performing Employer overall, followed by NMHS (and indicative of the collaborative work between the AMA (WA) and NMHS).

CAHS and King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) are the worst-performing Employers overall – though CAHS rates moderately for wellbeing.

NMHS, SJOG and WA Country Health Service (WACHS) have improved their scores in the area of morale and culture.

Instances of bullying, discrimination, and harassment remain a concern within our hospitals, with 46 per cent of survey respondents witnessing such behaviours in their workplaces.

“It is vital to address these issues promptly, as they undermine the principles of compassionate care and professional integrity,” Dr Page said.

Despite a number of positive developments, scores across the hospital system for roster compliance still fall below desired standards. Delays in roster releases and non-compliance with scheduling requirements indicate the need for better management practices that prioritise the well-being of healthcare professionals and enhance patient care.

Access to leave remains an important concern, despite improvements made by all HSPs.

“The fact that this issue persists indicates the need for ongoing efforts to prioritize the well-being and work-life balance of our dedicated healthcare workforce,” Dr Page said.

The report is available at https://www.amawa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hospital-Health-Check 2023-Report.pdf