Toxic work, patients at risk: Doctors demand Mater hospitals probe

Whistleblower doctors have aired serious claims of toxic work environments and risks to patients as they demand an independent inquiry into Mater hospitals.

Doctors are demanding an independent inquiry into the running of Mater hospitals with claims a toxic work environment is leaving patients exposed to serious risk and forcing an exodus of leading medical specialists.

And the Queensland chief of the Australian Medical Association Professor Chris Perry is in support of an impartial deep dive into the allegations.

Weary, whistleblowing doctors have alleged that the hospitals, both public and private, are in free fall and constant concerns are brushed off by management.

They claim that patients are having multiple falls and injuries due to a shortage of staff, medication mix-ups are a constant fear, there is poor management of wound care post-op and junior doctors are forced to handle very complex cases.

Multiple transfers of patients from ward to ward is causing confusion and upset in staff and families.

Doctors are demanding an investigation into the running of Mater hospitals both public and private. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

A Mater spokeswoman vehemently denied all allegations, emphasising that the hospitals have zero tolerance for bullying, patient and employee safety is top priority and there is no evidence of a drop in standards.

The doctors’ call comes after The Courier-Mail reported that there was a shortage of 100 full-time nurses at the Mater facilities with overworked nurses facing mental breakdowns and they too were fearful of fatal mistakes.

Maintenance staff are also at loggerheads with management and are in the middle of industrial action.

The Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland (ASMOFQ) have been aware of problems at the Mater Hospitals for several years.

“Our members at the Mater hospitals have regularly reported significant issues relating to the conduct of their employer. To address these issues, ASMOFQ has been calling on the Mater to renegotiate the expired enterprise agreements but so far there has been no response,”

Dr Hau Tan, ASMOFQ president said.

“Currently doctors at the Mater hospitals are at a disadvantage to their Queensland Health colleagues when it comes to pay, conditions and protections. Doctors have a right to fair and safe working conditions and ASMOFQ will continue to advocate strongly for this across Queensland,” he said.

Mater hospitals have played a key role in the provision of healthcare in Queensland since 1906. In Brisbane Mater Health runs Mater Children’s Private, Mater Hospital Brisbane, Mater Mothers Hospital and Mater Mothers Private.

AMAQ President Professor Chris Perry supports an inquiry. Picture: John Gass)

One veteran doctor told The Courier-Mail that problems have escalated in recent years.

“Doctors have been targeted and bullied, leading an exodus of doctors,” the doctor claimed.

“Concerns raised regarding patient care and safety have been brushed off. An independent review of the functionings of the hospital would be essential to weed out the problems and ensure safe care of patients,” the doctor said.

Prof Perry said: “An independent inquiry may help resolve any systemic issues that foster unhealthy and damaging workplace behaviour.

Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union Queensland and Northern Territory secretary, Rohan Webb said hospital maintenance workers also deserve to be treated with respect.

The maintenance enterprise agreement is currently being renegotiated.

“Maintenance workers at the Mater are fighting for respect and fairness. Their offer is well below what workers doing the same work in a Queensland public hospital get. It’s unfair and we’ll keep fighting for same job, same pay,” he said.

A Mater spokeswoman said that the Mater Hospital Brisbane was ranked the highest for wellbeing and workplace culture in the 2019 and 2020 AMA Queensland Resident Hospital Health Check (RHHC) report, which surveyed 730 junior doctors across 20 hospitals and Hospital and Health Services.

Mater also scored the highest overall mark of all public hospitals in Queensland across the categories of bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment, workplace culture, overtime, career progression and access to annual leave in AMA Queensland’s 2020 RHHC.

“Just 1.5 per cent of doctors who work with Mater left the organisation in the past year. This is significantly lower than the national average attrition rate for this sector. All junior doctors have senior medical support and are advised how to escalate any concerns about patients at orientation,” she said.

She said that Mater’s number of reported incidents falls well within industry benchmarks.

“Staff have access to a number of programs and procedures that enable concerns to be raised and resolved with several different stakeholders,” she said.