New laws will protect junior doctors' mental health

The amendments to the Hospitals and Health Boards Act 2011 will make Hospitals and Health Services (HHSs) and their boards responsible for staff wellbeing and for promoting cultures that support health, safety and wellbeing.

“AMA Queensland and our Committee of Doctors in Training (CDT) have been calling for these changes for a long time, and these were a major focus of the Queensland Health Workforce and Wellbeing Summit last November, which was a result of AMA Queensland and CDT advocacy,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said.

“Our healthcare workers, particularly early in their careers, face unique challenges that pose risks to their wellbeing. They are on the frontline caring for people who are unwell, distressed and upset.

“It is so important that Queensland Health takes positive actions to look after our health workforce, particularly their emotional wellbeing and cultural safety.

“Making HHS boards directly accountable for their staff’s health and wellbeing is an important step towards creating healthy and supportive work environments so our doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners can continue to deliver high-quality healthcare to our communities.

“Our Resident Hospital Health Check found that 28 per cent of junior doctors felt unsafe at work, and 58 per cent were concerned about making a clinical error due to fatigue related to long works hours.

“Fewer than half were satisfied with the hospital facilities and the quality of formal teaching and training.

“Making HHS boards directly accountable for fixing these cultural and systematic issues will help us retain our medical and healthcare workforces into the future.”

AMA Queensland CDT Chair Dr Elise Witter said the new laws represent an important cultural shift.

“These laws mean the systematic factors that contribute to adverse mental health in junior doctors and other health professionals can be openly acknowledged and addressed,” Dr Witter said.

“For too long, the burden of responsibility to effect change has been placed on junior doctors who are already at greater risk of distress and suicide than the general population.

“All healthcare professionals deserve to work in a physically and psychologically safe environment as they provide care to the community. We look forward to seeing the implementation of this legislation and ongoing developments to support the health and wellbeing of health professionals following the Health and Wellbeing Summit last year.”