AMA calls for safer, healthier and more supportive work environments for hospital doctors

This week the AMA released a new position statement that outlines the essential requirements for hospitals, both public and private, to keep their employees safe and to maintain a sustainable and productive workforce. The new position statement titled Safe, healthy and supportive work environments for hospital doctors 2023 outlines the key requirements along three domains – system, physical and personal safety and wellbeing, to ensure improved patient outcomes. 

The AMA position statement recognises that doctors’ safety and wellbeing at their workplace is closely linked with the quality of care delivered to patients and can impact clinical care outcomes. The AMA calls on the regulatory systems, to recognise and enshrine the link in the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards and relevant legislation.

The key requirement towards achieving this will be leadership and commitment by the health ministers, state and territory health Departments, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare, hospitals, health care organisations and administrators alike. The AMA calls on these key stakeholders to demonstrate that leadership by introducing legislative amendments that make it explicit that hospital and health service boards are responsible for promoting a healthy workforce culture for and among staff, and by reviewing the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards to require health services to provide for and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of those staff within the workplace. The strengthened legislation and quality standards should encourage health services to adopt an evidenced based risk management approach to address psychosocial hazards in the workplace, with clear KPIs to measure progress towards this.

The position statement can be viewed here: https://www.ama.com.au/articles/safe-healthy-and-supportive-work-environments-hospital-doctors-2023-position-statement