Doctors must be able to speak up safely

MEDIA STATEMENT FROM AMA (NSW) PRESIDENT DR FRED BETROS

AMA (NSW) is troubled by growing concerns among senior doctors about governance, workplace culture and whether doctors can safely raise issues within the NSW public hospital system.

We are deeply concerned that doctors do not always feel safe to raise concerns about patient safety, resourcing, governance, workplace matters and culture for fear of disciplinary action.

When doctors fear disciplinary action for speaking up, patient safety is put at risk.

Doctors must be able to raise legitimate concerns through established, trusted and safe processes. A health system cannot identify and address problems if the doctors working within it do not feel able to speak openly.

AMA (NSW) calls on Local Health Districts to meaningfully engage with doctors, both individually and collectively, foster cooperation between clinicians and management, and involve doctors in decisions affecting clinical services and patient care.

The Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding emphasised that the importance of genuine engagement between management and clinicians could not be overstated. It also identified Medical Staff Councils as having the potential to provide an effective mechanism for consultation and engagement.

Local Health Districts must ensure these bodies are respected and supported, and that the views of senior doctors are genuinely considered in decision-making.

Without meaningful engagement and safe avenues for doctors to raise concerns, we risk continuing to lose highly experienced and skilled doctors from the public hospital system.

That would further undermine doctors’ confidence in the system and, ultimately, affect the care provided to patients across NSW.

Media: P: 0419 402 955 E: media@amansw.com.au