Cairns Hospital’s rating revealed in AMA Resident Hospital Health Check 2024

Retention of doctors is under threat as a survey revealed their employment satisfaction was going backwards, underpinned by a fear of making fatigue-based errors.

The Cairns Hospital has gone backwards in the annual AMA Queensland resident hospital health check survey. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

Long-term retention of junior doctors is under threat, a peak medical body claims, as a survey of practitioners revealed their employment satisfaction was going backwards, primarily underpinned by a fear of making fatigue-based errors.

But the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service is confident of maintaining its junior workforce, noting it outperformed many of the state’s other districts.

The Australian Medical Association Queensland recently released the findings of its annual Resident Hospital Health Check, which surveyed junior doctors, awarding Cairns an overall grade of C+, down from B- in 2023.

The survey found 36 per cent of respondents feared making fatigue-based errors and 40 per cent reported safety concerns.

The AMA survey found 36 per cent of respondents at Cairns feared making fatigue-based errors and 40 per cent reported safety concerns. Stock image of a doctor.

AMA Queensland president Dr Nick Yim said the organisation discussed the results with individual health services each year and had plans to negotiate changes again this year, with Cairns among eight hospitals to have gone backwards on survey results.

AMA Queensland Committee of Doctors in Training chair Dr Elise Witter said it was disappointing “that we are not seeing any change in these statistics”.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe at work. What we are hearing from our junior doctors, particularly those on ward call overnight, is that they do not feel safe walking between hospital buildings.

“Disturbingly, 50 per cent of junior doctors are already feeling some form of burnout.

“We clearly need better workforce retention strategies and incentives to keep these doctors in the profession they have studied and worked so hard for.”

Australian Medical Association Queensland released the findings of its annual Resident Hospital Health Check which surveyed junior doctors, awarding Cairns an overall grade of C+, down from B- in 2023.

On the survey, Cairns’ lowest scoring areas were access to leave and career progression and development.

CHHHS chief executive Leena Singh accepted junior doctors had reflected some concerns about career progression and development at the Far North facility, while noting Cairns had outscored other hospitals, in a win for local retention.

“As our junior doctor program is so popular, we are only able to offer a limited number of positions for highly sought roles in areas such as anaesthetics, intensive care, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynaecology compared to much larger hospitals in metropolitan areas,” she said.

Cairns Health and Hinterland Health Service CEO Leena Singh says she’s committed to listening and acting on staff feedback Picture: Brendan Radke

“We have scored well on work/life balance compared to the rest of the state, including access to leave and wellbeing and workplace culture.”

Acknowledging the importance of the survey, Ms Singh said she was “committed to listening and acting on staff feedback,” but did not comment on advice or recommendations provided by AMA in the past.

AMA Queensland noted junior doctors used the survey results to guide them on their next move, and there were nine hospitals which scored equally or better than Cairns, and seven which did not.

Originally published as Cairns Hospital’s rating revealed in AMA Resident Hospital Health Check 2024