Cairns Hospital rated C+ in latest Australia Medical Association health survey

Increasing pressure on doctors extends beyond the Cairns and Hinterland health services, as young GPs reveal their grading for the city hospital. Read what they had to say.

A RECENT survey by doctors on duty in Queensland Hospitals, including Cairns, has shone a light on the rising pressures felt by staffers three years into the Covid-19 pandemic, and it spreads beyond the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service.

The Cairns Hospital received an overall grading of C+ after an Australian Medical Association Queensland 2022 Resident Hospital Health check, with the findings revealing the state’s health challenges through the lens of the doctors on duty.

A total of 719 junior doctors responded to the annual survey from AMAQ’s Committee of Doctors in Training (CDT) and ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland), which compares the junior doctor experience and staff wellbeing in public hospitals around the state.

Queensland health minister Yvette D'Ath in front of the Cairns Hospital which received an overall grading of C+. Photo: Brendan Radke

A worrying 60 per cent said they were so burnt out they live in fear of making a dangerous clinical error, with one in six of them working more than 70 hours a week, many without adequate breaks.

Dr Don Mackie, Executive Director of Medical Services at the CHHHS, said the annual AMA survey provided important feedback to “understand how we are doing” and to train and support early career doctors.

“We recognise the first few years are critical to professional and career development and we are committed to making that a positive experience,” he said.

“Junior doctors are a critical workforce deserving support and development.”

One Cairns-based GP, who did not want to be named, said a lot of variables had contributed to the stress felt by young doctors throughout the pandemic.

“It’s not just the hospital residency staff, a lot of GPs are doing it tough,” he said.

“There is a lot from the AMA (Australian Medical Association) about the lack of GPs available, particularly in rural areas.

“Most of Cairns and the northern beaches has been recently described as being short of areas of high medical needs for GPs.

“There is a lot of head scratching going on, there is not an easy reason.”

Most of Cairns and the Northern Beaches have been described as being short of areas of high medical needs for GPs, according to a Cairns based GP who did not want to be named. Picture: Alison Paterson

Committee of Doctors in Training chair, Rob Nayer, said the steady increase in the number of medics concerned about possible fatigue-induced clinical errors highlights the toll the pandemic has taken on the medical profession, and the failure of hospital authorities to take enduring action on both the hours worked and the quality of formal and bedside teaching and training.

Dr Mackie said he was proud of his Cairns doctors and staff at how they have managed ongoing demand during pandemic.

“We thank them sincerely for their continued dedication and hard work,” he said.

“Fatigue is a big issue for our health workers, they’ve worked incredibly hard during the pandemic.”

The AMA survey revealed only 38 per cent of the doctors were satisfied with their formal training and just one in four with their bedside training, while only 39 per cent thought their hospital was looking after mental health and wellbeing adequately.

“Poor training leaves junior doctors feeling unprepared, which affects mental health and contributes to their fear of making mistakes,” Dr Nayer said.

“If we’re not training our doctors properly, we won’t have a future generation of specialists to give Queenslanders the high quality healthcare they deserve.”

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Originally published as Cairns Hospital rated C+ in latest Australia Medical Association health survey