Dr Rosanna Capolingua on 3AW mornings - Doctors' survey in the Herald Sun

Dr Rosanna Capolingua is the national president of the Australian Medical Association. Good morning, Doctor.

DR CAPOLINGUA: Good morning.

ROSS STEVENSON: I could imagine that the doctor - there may be two groups of doctors who respond to this article in the Herald Sun. There'd be a group who are going, too right, we're just generally too stressed out.

Might there also be doctors who read a story of a registrar working 77 hours a week who would say, 77 hours a week, that's luxury back in my day, we used to work 90.

DR CAPOLINGUA: Oh gosh, you're dead right, that's exactly what'll happen when they're reading the paper this morning, won't it?

Certainly things have improved somewhat over time. Many of us remember those very, very long hours, and those senior to me will remember them better than I do.

ROSS STEVENSON: What sort of hours would you have worked as a registrar?

DR CAPOLINGUA: I must admit that the 70 to 80 hours is something that I remember quite well.

ROSS STEVENSON: So in that sense, the hours being worked by registrars in hospitals is the same as it's always been?

DR CAPOLINGUA: Oh look, there have been some very important safe hours campaigns to influence that. Reality has been that we have to look after doctors so that they can look after patients.

But the other side of the reality is that doctors feel they need to stay to do the work, to look after the patients that are there that need them, and they are very committed and they will continue to put in good hours to give good care.

JOHN BURNS: It sounds to me like you're talking about interns and residents in hospitals who are still doing their training. Is it restricted only to them? Or what about the local GP?

DR CAPOLINGUA: Yes, it goes across the board, doesn't it? It is about the doctors working in the hospitals, junior doctors, doctors in training, and even consultants who put in those long hours.

But general practices, well, who are trying very much to provide the patients that need to see them with the care that they need by staying longer hours, working longer hours each week.

ROSS STEVENSON: John was telling a story earlier about a specialist that he went to see, a trainee doctor was given the chance to train on John by giving him an injection, to which John had no objection. And John said to the young trainee, look at what you're getting yourself in for, you know, a long - a career of long hours dealing with sort of stressed people. And the senior doctor said, yeah, but it's a job we love.

That's true of many doctors, isn't it? They will still do all this but still love the job.

DR CAPOLINGUA: Yes, we do, there's no doubt about that. The passion and the commitment to the job, as you put it, is real and is there and that's why we have the good doctors and the good standard of doctors in this country. We love what we do, we love caring for patients, and the only time we get really stressed is when we believe that maybe our ability to give patients the best care can be compromised under the scenario of long hours or the public hospital sector pressures or, you know, those sorts of things. We don't like patient care being compromised. That's what stresses us out, not the work itself.

ROSS STEVENSON: Quick answer: who needs to write the cheque, state governments or federal government?

DR CAPOLINGUA: Two cheques, both of them.

ROSS STEVENSON: Two cheques.

DR CAPOLINGUA: Thank you very much, yes.

ROSS STEVENSON: Thank you very much, you would draw two cheques. Doctor, thank you very much.

DR CAPOLINGUA: Thank you.

ROSS STEVENSON: Dr Rosanna Capolingua, national president of the Australian Medical Association.

ENDS