VICDOC Summer 2023 - Magazine - Page 64
1. PUBLIC HOSPITALS
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In 2023 the Ministerial Review:
Victorian Public Sector Medical Staff
was launched. This landmark review is a
commitment that AMA Victoria secured
from Government in the last round
of enterprise bargaining agreement
negotiations. It provides an opportunity
for our members to provide their views
on systems of work and employment
arrangements for public hospital medical
staff, with submissions closing on
15 December 2023. The independent panel
is scheduled to publish an interim report
in March 2024, with the final report to be
presented to the Minister for Health by
30 April 2024. Our extensive submission
to the panel includes advocacy for:
1. Restructuring health system
governance
2. Job security enhancement
3. Adequate staffing levels
4. Implement measures to improve
gender equity at all levels of medicine
5. Improved implementation of
employment terms and conditions
6. Fair remuneration for unsocial hours
7. Streamlined credentialing process
8. Rural and regional infrastructure
investment
9. Carer support provisions
10. Support for International Medical
Graduate doctors
11. Increased transparency in
workforce planning
12. Oversight of specialist colleges
13. Doctor to patient ratio standards
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AMA VI C TO RIA
AMA Victoria’s expressed concerns
regarding the health and wellbeing of
medical staff working in Victorian public
hospitals were validated by the November
2023 Victorian Auditor-General’s Office
(VAGO) Employee Health and Wellbeing in
Victorian Public Hospitals report, which
found that:
» Hospital employees’ mental health and
wellbeing has deteriorated since 2019
» The Victorian Department of Health and
the audited hospitals “do not effectively
support hospital workers' mental health
and wellbeing”
» “There are gaps in hospitals' processes to
identify and control psychosocial hazards”
» The “department does not effectively
oversee hospitals to make sure they
protect staff."
VAGO specifically cited AMA advocacy as
catalyst for the audit — and our advocacy
will intensify in the new year as we seek
remedy for the profound issues identified
by the audit.
We have expressed our concerns to
the Victorian Government regarding
the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and
Compensation Amendment (WorkCover
Scheme Modernisation) Bill 2023. This
legislation aims to reduce worker access
to WorkCover supports. It is our view that
these changes are incongruous with the
purposes of the scheme and deleterious
to the welfare of our members. As the
legislation comes up for debate in March
2024, we will continue to exert pressure
on the Government to retain important
supports for members whose psychological
health is adversely impacted by their
work environment.
Our class actions against Victorian
health services will continue in 2024 in
partnership with ASMOF Victoria. These
claims involve over 1,100 Victorian doctors in
training who have filed claims for systemic
underpayment, but their potential impact is
