Hundreds or regional doctors stop work over poor working conditions

Nearly 200 regional doctors in Ballarat and Bendigo have stopped work, citing burnout, poor conditions, and low morale. The Australian Medical Association Victoria (AMAV) reported that after a year of negotiations, public hospital doctors still lack an offer on industrial relations or an enterprise bargaining agreement from the Victorian government.

AMAV president Simon Judkins stated that three health ministers in the past 12 months have failed to provide any offers, and the state government is merely "kicking the can down the road."

Grampians Health and Bendigo Health, managing the Ballarat Base Hospital and Bendigo Health respectively, respected the doctors' right to take protected industrial action. The four-hour stop in work, part of escalating industrial action, marked the first time in 20 years hundreds of Victorian doctors walked off the job. Doctors from the two largest regional hospitals cited exhaustion, low morale, and stressful working conditions, with some reaching breaking point.

Last month, the ABC highlighted the Ballarat and Bendigo hospitals among five regional Victorian hospitals showing signs of system failure, including long wait times in emergency departments. The AMAV president claimed the state government was avoiding addressing the issues by promising a major redevelopment of the Ballarat Base Hospital, set to be completed in late 2027. However, Dr Judkins emphasized that staffing issues, not the redevelopment, would solve the problems.

Dr Lyng from the Ballarat Base Hospital emphasized the need for protected breaks and good shift lengths. Junior doctor Christian McCaffrey at Grampians Health expressed the doctors' exhaustion, with many working beyond their rostered hours, having no breaks, or even using the toilet. He blamed the Victorian government for taking their duty of care to patients for granted.

Doctor Joel Findlay from Bendigo Health echoed these concerns, stating he and his colleagues were struggling with long shifts, no lunch breaks, and a high volume of emergency patients, including a recent fatal incident.

The Grampians Health spokesperson acknowledged the doctors' right to industrial action and assured that critical services would be covered. They highlighted the hospital redevelopment's long-term benefits while addressing the need for short-term solutions to improve patient flow. The Victorian Health Minister's spokesperson pointed out that while the government has made improvements to primary care, more must be done to ease the burden on Victorians seeking care at GPs.