Fatigued, overworked doctors demand overhaul to working conditions fearing patient safety
Fifty-one percent of 808 junior doctors surveyed in the latest annual Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) Resident Hospital Health Check said they experienced fatigue due to working excessive hours — up from 48 per cent in 2020 and 46 per cent in 2019.
Council of Doctors in Training co-chairs Robert Nayer and Natasha Abeysekera said the survey result should come as a wake-up call to health authorities. Growing numbers of overworked, exhausted training doctors fear they will make fatigue-related mistakes if public hospitals do not overhaul working conditions.
"Every year more and more doctors in training raise this as a key concern and they need to be heard before their fears become a reality," Dr Nayer said.
Read more as reported by ABC news in this article.
The AMA Council of Doctors in Training has a number of special interest groups advocating for systems change. For more information on how you can get involved in DiT advocacy, please contact cdt.chair@ama.com.au
