In 2021, 1,747 doctors-in-training respondents completed the survey, from 35 hospitals across NSW*.

Doctors-in-training were asked to answer questions based on a hospital in which they had worked in the last 12 months.

The data gathered from the survey was used to provide hospitals with grades in six different domains and to calculate an overall rating for each facility.

*Hospitals with less than 10 respondents were not included in the individual hospital analysis.

Doctors-in-Training took the 2021 Hospital Health Check

The breakdown of respondents by gender was:

Breakdown of respondents by stage of training:

2021

60%

In 2021, 60% of respondents reported working more than five hours of unrostered overtime in an average fortnight.

There was a drop in the number of doctors-in-training claiming all of their overtime in 2021, compared to previous years. However, the number of DITs claiming none of their overtime has dropped significantly from 2018 and this year’s result was on par with 2020 at 18%.

In 2021, 74% of DITs received all of their UROT payment, a result that has steadily increased over the years.

Women don’t claim as much overtime as men. In 2021, 25% of women claim ALL of their overtime, compared to 36% of men.

There is a notable drop in the number of BOTH men and women claiming overtime in 2021. In 2020, 33% of women claimed all of their overtime, compared to 45% of men.

25%

of women claim all of their overtime compared to 36% of men.

Surgery

In 2021, 35% of women claim all of their overtime, just slightly behind their male colleagues, 39% of whom claim all of their overtime.

Emergency

Male emergency med trainees are twice as likely (19%) to claim all of their overtime, compared to female emergency med trainees (9%).

25%

Almost always

One quarter (25%) of DITs said their rosters ‘almost always’ matched expectations in 2021, this is a decrease from 2020 (38%).

46%

Sometimes

Almost half (46%) of DITs said their rosters ‘sometimes’ matched expectations in 2021, this is an increase from 2020 (41%).

29%

Almost never

Less than a third (29%) of DITs said their rosters ‘almost never’ matched expectations in 2021, this is an increase from 2020 (21%).

Bullying

50%

Half of all respondents reported experiencing bullying at work, with senior medical colleges the most likely source. This is a significant jump from 2020 (32%) and an even higher result that 2019 (40%).

Intimidation at work

37%

More than a third of respondents felt intimidated at work, with the main sources of intimidation being:

1. Patients’ families (the dominant source)
2. Senior medical colleagues
3. Nurses

32%

A third of all respondents experienced discrimination.

35%

of females experienced discrimination.

26%

of males experienced discrimination.

Fatigue

38%

In total, 38% of participants reported that they had made a fatigue-induced error.

Personal Health and Safety

47%

Almost half (47%) of all respondents had felt concern for their personal safety due to fatigue associated with long hours – a result that is on par with 2020.

63%

More than half of respondents said they feel valued by their hospitals.

75%

Three-quarters of respondents said they would recommend their hospital.