Statement from AMA (NSW) president Dr Kathryn Austin

It is not surprising to see staff engagement levels across NSW hospitals at their lowest in eight years in today’s Bureau of Health Information’s annual report on NSW health system performance.

In some local health districts, only half of staff report feeling connected, motivated or valued by management.

This is a direct result of dedicated doctors, and their colleagues, forced to do more with less every day in an under-resourced public hospital system, and being paid less than their counterparts in other states.

The Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding, released this week, found that while NSW has a strong health system, urgent funding and award reform are needed to retain and recruit a skilled medical workforce to ensure we can continue to provide high quality care to patients.

We must urgently address these issues and stop relying on the goodwill of our incredible health workforce in propping up an ailing system.