Slater and Gordon noted that its independent research showed that at one health service, doctors worked hundreds of thousands of rostered overtime in one year alone, while data released by the Australian Medical Association’s Safe Hours Audit showed that more than half of doctors were working “unsafe” hours, and were at a significant or high risk of fatigue.

Mr Hardwick said “there is immense pressure on doctors to work excessive hours, particularly in surgery departments and other demanding practice areas, and that the extreme workload is contributing to a tox culture and jeopardising patient safety and doctors’ mental and physical health.”

“Doctors should not be made to feel pressured to work such long hours that they suffer mentally and physically as a result, and they should definitely not be made to feel as if their careers would suffer if they protected their right to a healthy working environment,” he continued.

“No worker – including health professionals – should have to do such excessive amounts of unpaid overtime, especially when the lives of everyday people are in their hands.”

“The last thing anyone wants is for an overworked, and overtired young doctor to make a critical mistake which could potentially be fatal to one of their patients,” Mr Hardwick explained.

Slater & Gordon cited an anonymous doctor who had spoken with the firm, who said that it was “unheard of” for doctors to claim overtime for unrostered hours at most hospitals, despite being officially entitled to it.

The doctor explained they would be “laughed at” if they attempted to claim their overtime entitlements.

VIEW ALL