New program to help doctors following a spate of suicides

She has dedicated her life to treating patients but Dr Bethan Richards will now combat a health crisis within her own ranks. In an Australian-first, the Sydney Local Health District has appointed her as Chief Wellness Officer to tackle an epidemic many junior doctors are facing.

• A health check for young doctors
• “Brutal expectations” blamed for doctor suicide

She has dedicated her life to treating patients but Dr Bethan Richards will now combat a health crisis within her own ranks.

In an Australian-first move, Sydney Local Health District has ­appointed Dr Richards its Chief Medical Wellness Officer to tackle the epidemic of junior doctors battling fatigue, stress and burnout.

Part of a statewide push to improve the wellbeing of trainee doctors after a spate of suicides two years ago, Dr Richards will also lead a new program — called MDOK — to teach young medical staff the skills to care for their own health and manage traumatic events.

In an Australian-first Dr Bethan Richards has been appointed as Chief Medical Wellness Officer. Picture: Richard Dobson

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“We want to empower them to look after their wellbeing, not only during training but ideally set good patterns that they would then have for the rest of their careers,” Dr Richards, the head of rheumatology at Royal Prince Alfred hospital, said.

“We are at the beginning of a journey right now. I think we have some really great ideas and we’re going to put them into practice this year and, at a minimum, they are going to be more supported and we’re going to identify any struggling ones better.”

Based on a successful RPA pilot program, MDOK includes workshops on relaxation techniques and nutri­tion as well as exercise sessions.

Dr Richards, the only non-American at last year’s inaugural Stanford University Chief Medical Wellness course, will also head up Australia’s first WellMD Centre.

With about 450 junior doctors working across the Sydney health ­district, NSW Health granted $210,000 in funding to roll out MDOK over the next three years.

The demanding conditions for ­junior doctors was again exposed last week after reports an aspiring surgeon at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital quit the profession after working “untenable” rosters of as much as 140 hours a fortnight.

Dr Louise Ward and Dr Brian Fernandes with Dr Richards said there were days where everyone “struggled”. Picture: Richard Dobson

RPA’s prestigious cardiothoracic department also recently came under fire after losing its accreditation to train doctors this year due to allegations of bullying among surgeons.

“Every time you hear about something like that it’s heartbreaking,” Dr Richards said.

“We sign up to this job to make other people’s lives better and so when you see that people who come to work to care for others are being harmed themselves, it’s really distressing.”

Dr Richards said working cultures within hospitals must change.

“We’ve made huge inroads but there’s a huge way to go — but you have to start somewhere,” she said.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said more wellness programs were needed across NSW.

“As much as anything it sends a message to young doctors that we care and that’s a big plus,” Mr Hazzard said.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said more wellness programs like these are needed across NSW. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Young RPA doctor and registrar Dr Brian Fernandes said there were days “when everyone will struggle”.

“I think there are small changes that are happening which are ultim­ately beneficial but there is a huge amount to go,” he said.

“In some ways we have to look for opportunities to actually improve the bigger system and I think there are a lot of positive steps that are happening and a lot of positive discussions are happening as well.”

RPA advanced trainee doctor Louise Ward said she has endured “challenges” in the past, juggling study and working away from family support.

She said the pilot wellbeing program had helped some colleagues ­reclaim some work and life balance.

“They really felt wonderful to be back doing physical exercise and able to start losing weight and sleeping better and eating more healthily,” Dr Ward said.

BULLYING STILL RIFE IN OUR HOSPITALS

Nearly a third of junior doctors have experienced bullying, mostly by their senior colleagues, a new state government report has revealed.

Results from the training and wellbeing survey of more than 2000 NSW junior doctors also found Western Sydney hospitals ranked poorly compared with other districts.

More than half of the ­respondents witnessed bullying in their workplace and of the 30 per cent who claimed they were bullied, 42 per cent said senior doctors were the cause. The majority didn’t make a formal complaint.

A staggering one third of junior doctors have revealed in a survey they have been bullied mostly by senior colleagues.

The survey also showed 50 per cent didn’t claim unrostered overtime, with 35 per cent concerned about the “perception that I can’t manage my role”.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said despite a small overall improvement on the 2017 results, he wasn’t surprised by the findings.

“It’s a tough ask to turn around what is at least a 40-year culture that operates in the high expectation profession of medicine,” Mr Hazzard said. “Unfortunately those expectations are imposed by people who have been around for decades and were trained in a way that no longer works for many young doctors.”

Mr Hazzard said junior doctors “quite rightly” expected different working environments from their older and experienced colleagues.

Some doctors are also worried the new safe work standards aren’t working. Picture: iStock

The survey also showed junior doctors aren’t convinced the new safe work standards, which dictate they must not be rostered for more than 14-hour shifts with at least a 10-hour break in-between, are working.

Mr Hazzard said the 14/10 program was “proving a little difficult to make sure it works in practice but it’s a good start”.

NSW Health deputy secretary of people, culture and governance Phil Minns said plans were also underway to ensure complaints by junior doctors were handled more fairly and faster.

The 2018 Your Training and Wellbeing Matters survey was conducted at the end of last year and was completed by 24 per cent of the junior doctor workforce.

Originally published as New program to help doctors following a spate of suicides