Public hospitals risk bleeding doctors without support

Public hospitals are crumbling under logjams and workforce attrition as doctors reject a government pay offer.

Hospital registrars and career medical officers in particular are at significant risk of burnout after enduring poor working conditions in public hospitals, the Australian Medical Association has warned.

Without government action, Australia could lose its experienced hospital doctors including those immediately below the level of specialists.

"Australia's ability to continue delivering the highest standards of patient care depends on a well-supported hospital medical workforce," AMA president Danielle McMullen said.

"But sadly, the supports hospital registrars and CMOs need are often lacking."

Australia has also been urged to offer more support for these roles to ensure access to professional development, specialist training and wellbeing resources.

"We can't afford any more delays in providing much-needed support to this critical part of the public hospital workforce," AMA Council of Doctors in Training chair Sanjay Hettige said.

Public hospital doctors in NSW on Friday rejected a three per cent pay bump from the state government, with their union saying the deal undervalued their work and put patients at risk.

"This offer goes nowhere near addressing the overwhelming crisis in the NSW health system," Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation of NSW president Nicholas Spooner said.

"Doctors are already underpaid compared to colleagues interstate, they are exhausted from chronic understaffing, and they are working in unsafe conditions.

"Enough is enough."

Of the 6000 doctors who took part in the ballot, three in four voted against the government's offer.

The state's professionals were paid up to 30 per cent less than their colleagues in other jurisdictions, with Dr Spooner warning the dispute would continue to escalate unless the government put up a better offer.

"Doctors have lost confidence in this government's ability to put public health and the safety of the people of NSW ahead of politics," he said.

"We are ready to turn frustration into meaningful action."

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said he respected the doctors' response to the interim pay rise and would continue to work with the union.

"While we cannot make up for 12 years of wage suppression by the former Liberal-National government in a single pay agreement, we have worked to deliver health workers the largest pay increase in over a decade, including NSW Health doctors," he said in a statement.

The NSW government in early 2025 stared down a mass exodus of public hospital psychiatrists after the specialists called for a one-off 25 per cent pay increase.

More than 200 of the cohort threatened to resign in January and at least 62 have, with another 72 opting to shift into potentially more lucrative contract roles.

The psychiatrists are awaiting a decision from the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.