Thousands of NSW doctors are set to strike for three days, from tomorrow until Thursday, as their industrial dispute with the state government intensifies over pay and staffing levels. This national action highlights the critical issues facing healthcare professionals.
As a result of the strike, numerous specialist appointments have been cancelled and hundreds of elective surgeries postponed, impacting patient care across the state.
During the strike period, emergency departments and intensive care units will operate with reduced staffing, akin to public holiday levels, as reported by the NSW branch of the Doctors Union, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF).
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According to the state government, this industrial action poses significant risks to patient safety. Health Minister Ryan Park emphasized, “You simply cannot have thousands of doctors threaten to walk off the job and out of hospitals and not have an impact on patient care.”
The Health Department has not disclosed how many of the union’s 5000 members will participate in the strike, complicating risk management during this critical national situation.
NSW Health Deputy Secretary Matthew Daly stated, “That makes it exceptionally difficult to risk mitigate if we are not going to be transparent as to the medical resources that will be available in the field.” In contrast, the doctors’ union insists their members will ensure patient safety, despite the anticipated lower staffing levels.
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ASMOF Executive Director Andrew Holland reassured, “Our members will be ensuring that emergency and intensive care units will have safe staffing.” The union is advocating for pay parity with other states, which could lead to a pay increase of up to 30 percent.
Negotiations have been ongoing for over nine months, but the union expressed frustration that the first direct communication from the health minister occurred last week, just after announcing the strike. Holland remarked, “It’s a bit too little too late. After almost a year of bargaining, it would have been appreciated to have someone from the office in the room with us.”
For patients requiring emergency treatment during this national strike, it is advised to visit an emergency department.
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