The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) believes last week’s NSW public hospital doctors’ strike — which highlighted burnout, fatigue, long working hours, and doctor and other health worker shortages — is indicative of nationwide health workforce and wellbeing issues, and that it is an issue impacting patients as well as physicians and their loved ones. The RACP is calling on federal, state and territory governments to invest more in growing and supporting the medical workforce.
“Australia does not have enough physicians, and the ones we have are not always able to practise in the communities where they are needed,” RACP President Professor Jennifer Martin said. “For patients, this can mean long waitlists, delayed treatment, exhausted doctors, worsening health, increased costs when the public system is not accessible and, for many rural Australians, long, uncomfortable and costly trips to capital cities or regional centres.
“For doctors, this can mean working 70 hours a week, with fewer colleagues to share the load, as patients’ needs become increasingly complex,” Martin added. “The toll this takes on us mentally, physically and emotionally — as well as the toll on our families and relationships — cannot be understated.” It’s a position supported by a 2024 RACP members survey (including physicians and trainees in a range of specialties such as paediatricians and cardiologists) in which respondents identified improving doctor wellbeing and workforce supply and distribution as their top two priorities.
“We have seen commitments from the major parties on boosting GP numbers, which is really important. But what we’re seeing is that when a GP refers someone to a physician — for example, referring a family to a paediatrician for an autism assessment — that family can be waiting years to see the paediatrician because there are just not enough of them in their area,” Martin said, calling for a stronger commitment across federal, state and territory governments to create more training places for physicians, especially in rural areas.
“We need commitment to real reform of our health system so that doctors and other health workers are not overworked, burnt out and leaving the sector that so badly needs them,” Martin said. Areas identified by RACP as in need of improvements in physician and trainee wellbeing and healthy work arrangements include: capacity to train physicians to ensure access to health care across the community, including in rural and remote areas; flexible training, work hours, parental leave and other support mechanism strategies for physicians and trainees; sufficient, protected time to teach and supervise trainees; and Chief Wellness Officers investment — paid clinical positions with health and wellbeing responsibilities.
