RACS Urges Action Amid NSW, ACT Health Strain
RACS has deep concerns regarding the ongoing industrial disputes across NSW public hospitals, which have the potential to significantly compromise both patient care and surgical training outcomes.
The industrial action follows chronic understaffing, unmanageable workloads and poor working conditions, putting increasing pressure on surgeons, and therefore ultimately jeopardising patients’ safety and care.
RACS recognises the mounting pressures facing health systems across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The ongoing industrial actions highlight these challenges, and we are particularly concerned about the repercussions such as the cancellation or delay of elective surgeries, reduced access to specialist care, and longer wait times for critical procedures.
We respectfully ask the Government to urgently support its public health workforce-including surgeons-by progressing meaningful negotiations to reach a resolution in the interest of safe, timely, and high-quality care.
Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand are fortunate to have some of the best health outcomes in the world, delivered with relative cost efficiency. However, without immediate action, we risk undermining this strength. The sustainability of our health systems depends on addressing these concerns head-on-ensuring that our surgical workforce is supported and that training environments remain safe and effective.
We are calling on governments to urgently engage in genuine negotiations, to address the critical issues facing the ACT and NSW Health surgical workforce, with consideration to the below recommendations:
“Our surgeons are dedicated to providing the highest standard of care for patients across NSW Health public hospitals,” RACS Vice President Professor Owen Ung shares. “However, cannot continue to do so under the current conditions. We are calling on the Government to act now, to listen to the concerns of our members, and work with us to find solutions that will protect both patients and the surgical workforce now and into the future.”
https://www.surgeons.org/News/media-releases/RACS-calls-for-urgent-intervention-as-NSW-and-ACT-Health-systems-under-stress