Junior doctors raise concerns about Toowoomba Hospital

DARLING Downs Health boss Dr Peter Gillies has praised Toowoomba Hospital staff after a recent survey of junior doctors gave it one of the highest grades.

FILE PHOTO: Darling Downs Health boss Dr Peter Gillies has praised Toowoomba Hospital staff after a recent survey of junior doctors gave it one of the highest grades across the state.

DARLING Downs Health boss Dr Peter Gillies has praised Toowoomba Hospital staff after a recent survey of junior doctors gave it one of the highest grades across the state. 

Despite the comparatively good result, the Australian Medical Association of Queensland Resident Hospital Health Check survey also found that more than a third of junior doctors at Toowoomba Hospital were concerned about making a clinical error due to fatigue caused by their hours of work. 

Survey results also showed 11 per cent of Toowoomba doctors in training had been bullied or harassed, 25 per cent had witnessed bullying and 14 per cent had both seen and experienced workplace bullying. 

Just under a third of bullying incidents were being reported for fear of negative consequences, the report found. 

Chair of the AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training Dr Hash Abdeen said Toowoomba Hospital scored a B overall in the report card, with 63 per cent of its junior doctors rating their training as very good or excellent. 

While there was room for improvement, Toowoomba Hospital's report card was the equal-best in the state with four other services. 

Describing the survey's findings as a "wonderful result for Toowoomba Hospital" Dr Gillies said there had been "improvements across the board when compared to last year. He also pointed to the development of an innovative Resident Guide app which put vital information at the fingertips of resident doctors. 

"We have a zero tolerance for bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment and have worked hard to provide staff with the tools they need to speak up if they see anything that undermines our culture," Dr Gillies said.

Originally published as Junior doctors raise concerns about Toowoomba Hospital