Employment and training conditions for Doctors in Training (DiT) are unacceptable and unsustainable. Although the recent review of the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) for DiT saw many improvements, more need to be made, and promptly enforced.
Doctors in Training suffer from unacceptably high levels of psychological distress relating to work, AND females significantly over-represent males in this data. COVID has worsened this, and so have the related staffing shortages – highlighting a culture and workforce that was strained before COVID and is now in crisis. Changes need to be made to the EBA that improve the sustainability and wellbeing of the medical workforce in particular, DiT. Improving conditions and culture for DiT will also improve patient safety.
AFMW Recommendations
- That the AFMW form a working group to compile an evidence-base for proposed changes to the EBA and refine points for a Position Statement. This would focus on specific recommendations for changes in staffing and working conditions and also provide and economic argument for investing in these improvements.
- That AFMW put forward a Position Statement putting forward these proposed changes to the EBA and additional items that may beyond the scope of the EBA
- This Position Statement is to be sent to The Colleges, The AMA, Training Hospitals, The DHHS
Prepared by: Dr Anne Stanaway, Dr Marissa Daniels, Dr Elysia Robb
Marissa Daniels is a paediatric intensive care medicine trainee, yAFMW co-Chair and past Treasurer for AFMW.
