Unit of doctors persuaded mid resignation to stay after negotiations

ABC NEWS (Australia)

An entire unit of doctors at Sydney’s largest hospital have withdrawn their resignations a day before they were due to leave. The interventional radiologists at Westmead hospital were persuaded to stay after an eleventh-hour meeting. The health minister has admitted the troubled hospital needs a cultural reset.

Transcript

00:00Outside Westmead Hospital, patients weren't aware of the chaos unfolding inside.

00:08An entire unit of interventional radiologists were due to quit today,

00:13but management were able to change their minds.

00:16It's not the way it should have been, and I'm very clear about that.

00:19The specialists are crucial in major and trauma surgeries,

00:23but they said ageing equipment and lack of staff were endangering lives.

00:28We've got to a position where we are looking at providing additional equipment and capital,

00:33and we've got to a position where we think we can have ongoing discussions.

00:38It's not the only issue plaguing Westmead.

00:41The hospital is under review after staff claimed concerns around lengthy wait times

00:46for cancer screening had gone ignored.

00:49Senior clinicians are tired, they were demoralised, they felt they weren't respected.

00:55I don't believe it's in crisis, I believe there's been a breakdown in communication,

00:58and I believe there needs to be a reset in culture.

01:01In a statement, a spokesperson for the Western Sydney local health district said

01:05it held positive discussions with the doctors,

01:08and will continue to develop and plan services to help care for patients.

01:13The spokesperson said interventional radiology services remain fully staffed and operational.

01:19Westmead doctors say they're pleased with this result, but they're frustrated it took years of advocacy,

01:26and speaking to the media to reach this point, they're still considering resigning in one month's time

01:32if there hasn't been any progress.

01:34We know there are not endless resources, and we're not going to jump up and down and demand it,

01:39but we want to see some effort and some belief in the things that we tell people.

01:44We don't want to be ignored.

01:46An issue doctors insist can't be ignored for much longer.

01:50Well, Elton, OH, OK.

01:52Well, it is now for the U.S. Department of Environment,

01:53in the last few weeks.

01:54I'll be pleased to go back to the U.S. Department of Environment and I am sharing

01:55the Gain City of the Environment and I am sharing that.

01:56Thank you very much, so thank you very much

01:57for your time and I could see you, thank you very much,

01:58for your time to present the full education by the U.S. Department of完�iy makes

01:59much longer since 2020.

02:01So thank you very much, so thank you very much.

02:02Thanks so much for your time, thank you very much.

02:03So thank you very much, I hope to do all the support

02:04and thank you very much, thank you very much.

02:06I hope to have you again.

02:08Thank you so much.

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