‘I'm really not sure where the table is at this point,’ says ASMOF NSW representative following government ‘stonewalling’ as junior doctors threaten strike action.
Junior doctors gathered outside John Hunter Hospital this morning to call on the New South Wales government to address what they called “a pressure cooker” inside public hospitals.
Last week, an email inadvertently circulated by hospital administration to a junior doctor critiqued the junior workforce for putting “life style [sic] before career”, labelling the group “clinical marshmellows [sic]”.
According to the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation NSW, the email was sent in response to a junior doctor’s query about being rostered for 10 nightshifts in a row, a practice which the union said was unsafe for both doctors and patients.
At a press conference today, ASMOF NSW called on the NSW government to step up, threatening strikes if urgent action was not taken to address what it said was “toxic workplace culture and hazardous conditions”.
The union has been in discussions with the Minns government over award reform and working conditions – such as having a minimum of 10 hours between shifts – for the last 12 months.
ED specialist at Maitland Hospital and ASMOF representative Dr Alexander Whitfield told said that there had been no meaningful negotiations and that meetings felt like a “stonewalling exercise”.
“We want [the government] to come back … to the metaphorical table,” he said.
“I’m really not sure where the table is at this point.
“Anything that’s got a cost associated to it is a non-starter.”
Dr Whitfield said the government had “just said no” to any proposal outside the 10.5% increase over three years that is currently on the table.
“I’m honestly not quite sure of the reasoning behind the reticence to come and engage with these large sectors of this public sector workforce: doctors, nurses, the train drivers,” he said.
“[The government] are refusing to release any more money.
“Look, I don’t cover the books … the government can claim that they have no cash [but] I find that hard believe in the wealthiest state in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
“My argument would be that these are essential services. We need to provide healthcare because that’s what Australia does, we look after people.
“I just can’t fathom the argument that we’re not going to do that, that we’re not going to acknowledge the cost of healthcare in 2025 … I’ve been baffled by that.”
While the union is focusing on negotiating award reform, general understaffing goes “hand in hand” with the problem, said Dr Whitfield.
“I think we’re all operating on this skeleton scarcity model.”
Dr Whitfield said the “marshmellow situation” had springboarded these important issues onto the statewide and national stage.
“On the actual [incident], the marshmallow of it all does speak to the critical strain not just on clinical staff, but the entire health system, our managers, everyone trying to organise care and staff and roles of care across the state.
“Parallel to the award … is general under resourcing.”
ASMOF NSW president Dr Nicholas Spooner said the email was a symptom of a broader crisis.
“Hospitals are severely understaffed and can’t meet patient demand,” he said.
“We have a toxic workplace culture that demands doctors risk their own health and safety to fill rosters and we have workplace conditions that were written 50 years ago.
“This is creating a pressure cooker in our hospitals, and we really need the NSW premier to step in before it escalates further.”
The union’s junior vice president Dr Tom Morrison, who is himself a junior doctor, said the community was finding humour in what was, in reality, a “pretty catastrophic situation”.
“Chris Minns must step in and act now before junior doctors decide they’ve had enough for good,” he said.
“Without real change fast, the NSW healthcare system is at risk, and soon there might be no ‘clinical marshmallows’ left.”
Dr Whitfield added that despite starting as a local incident, the controversy highlighted a systemic issue.
But it was important also to be conscious and empathic towards the local drama, he said.
“This is not about any individual … any individual blame, ill will, and especially harassment towards anyone involved … is not to be tolerated at all.
“It’s important to talk about [these issues]. I think we can do it respectfully, not focusing on people but looking at the system and government policies.”
The AMA NSW backed the call on the NSW government to urgently commit to appropriate investment in health services and the workforce.
“As we have repeatedly stated, the current NSW Health budget is not sufficient to ensure appropriate resourcing across public hospitals, resulting in frustrated and stressed staff trying to do more with less.”