‘Jeopardise patient safety’: Plea to doctors over three-day strike
The NSW health minister says thousands of doctors are choosing to jeopardise patient safety after they vowed to walk off the job this week in a bid to get a 30 per cent pay rise.
About 5000 doctors intend to strike this week between Tuesday and Thursday but the union representing them, Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF), insists staffing levels will be equivalent to a public holiday and patients won’t be in danger.
The strike is expected to affect Royal North Shore Hospital.Credit: Nick Moir
The union has rejected an “insulting” pay offer of 10.5 per cent over three years, saying it needs a 30 per cent increase to ensure NSW can attract enough doctors into its public health system.
Police officers were last year given pay rises of up to 39.4 per cent over four years while in 2023, NSW paramedics were given a pay boost between 11 and 29 per cent.
In NSW, a junior medical officer is paid $78,000, or $38 an hour, while the average salary for a senior medical officer is $222,017, according to NSW Health data. Specialists’ pay packets range from $335,669 to $439,600.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said in a statement that the strike plans would disrupt hospitals including emergency departments, reminding the union it was not too late to return to the Industrial Relations Commission.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said it was inexplicable that the union would choose to jeopardise patient safety.Credit: Sam Mooy
“Preparations are now urgently under way to manage impact on our patients. Patients with surgeries postponed will be contacted,” Park said.
“This is not a union without options – it is inexplicable ASMOF would actively choose to jeopardise patient safety over resolving its claim in the [Industrial Relations Commission].”
