2019 Hospital Health Check Survey results

The results

The release of the full results of the 2019 Hospital Health Check (HHC) have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but are now available.

The findings reveal critically poor working conditions for Victorian DiTs, even prior to the pandemic. It is troubling to know that trainees will now be stretched even further. This is in addition to the considerable toll that necessary measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have taken on trainee education, examinations and career progression.

AMA Victoria will use the HHC findings to continue advocating to health services and the DHHS for urgent and longer-term changes to protect trainees and their patients.

SEE SURVEY RESULTS

The survey's findings include:

60 per cent of Victorian trainees made a clinical error due to excessive workload.
More than 50 per cent admitted that their working hours often or always prevented activities important for their mental and physical health.
31 per cent were advised by their medical workforce unit not to claim the unrostered overtime they had worked.
More than 50 per cent attended work despite being unwell enough to warrant taking sick leave, with 89 per cent reporting a barrier to taking sick leave was not wanting to burden their colleagues with work.
More than 30 per cent reported raising serious concerns about workload with their health service which were brushed off or ignored.
More than 50 per cent reported ongoing Enterprise Agreement breaches at their health service.
31 per cent had been subjected to bullying and 49 per cent had witnessed others being bullied.
59 per cent said that negative career consequences were a barrier preventing them from reporting unacceptable behaviours.