More than one in five young country doctors experiencing harassment, bullying or discrimination at work

One in five doctors in training have experienced bullying, discrimination or harassment in WA Country Health Service hospitals, according to the 2024 Hospital Health Check by AMA WA. The report also reveals 39 per cent of young country doctors witnessed bullying, discrimination or harassment, though both numbers improved 12 percentage points compared to last year. When it came to reporting incidents, only 22 per cent of young doctors across WA who had experienced it reported the activity, while only 24 per cent who witnessed it reported the situation. The annual report surveyed more than 1100 doctors in training — a cohort which varies from first-year doctors to those with a decade of experience — across the State’s hospital sector. Other significant movements in WACHS’ numbers was an increase in the number of respondents who thought workplace safety was a priority, which increased from 84 per cent last year to 93 per cent. There was also a significant improvement in perceptions of annual leave and roster systems. Sick leave and claiming overtime back continued to be an issue, with only 36 per cent of respondents saying they could claim all unrostered overtime, down from 55 per cent in 2023. AMA WA Doctors in Training practice group co-chair Dr Natalie Ferrington said staff burnout was a major concern. “Junior doctors are unfortunately at the forefront of a public hospital system that is simply not equipped to cope with the patient load we’re seeing,” she said. “We have doctors working shifts upwards of 24 hours without any sleep, or for many weeks in a row without a single day off.” WACHS acting executive director of medical services Dr Suzanne Phillips said the report highlighted what was working and what was not in the system. “We are pleased to see the overwhelming majority of our doctors in training would recommend WA Country Health Service as an employer of choice, with survey results evidencing high staff morale and overall workplace satisfaction,” she said. “As an organisation, we have a zero tolerance towards bullying, discrimination and harassment and can see more than 95 per cent of DiTs know we are committed to keeping them safe while at work.” Dr Phillips said WACHS would be looking to rectify some of the shortfalls highlighted in the data. “DiT feedback has also made it clear that we must do more to streamline and improve our administrative and payroll functions — something we will act on as a priority,” she said. “We’d also like to see an increase in the number of staff who feel as though they can access leave, but were pleased that 81 per cent of respondents already felt supported to do so. “I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work of all of our DiTs. We are grateful for all they do to support our country health system and their feedback is extremely important to us.”