‘Ridiculous’: Sydney doctor works two jobs to pay bills
A Sydney doctor has lifted the lid on how much money he makes as an ugly union battle rages on about wages for those in the critical industry.
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A Sydney doctor has revealed he was forced to work two jobs to pay the bills as his colleagues bemoan being the busiest but worst paid in the country.
More than 3500 doctors took part in a three-day strike across the state last week, in what the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF) vowed was “just the beginning”.
“We haven’t reached a deal, but what we’ve built this week is a movement,” ASMOF president Dr Nicholas Spooner said last week.
“Thousands of doctors are standing together and saying the health system is not safe, and it must be fixed.”
The state government has offered a 10.5 per cent rise over three years, which has been rejected by a union campaigning for 30 per cent rise to match other states.
Dr Andrew Sarson, a resident medical officer in obstetrics and gynaecology, told news.com.au he works two jobs to meet his financial commitments.
“Initially my application to work a second job in order to pay the bills was rejected by hospital management under the guise of ‘fatigue’, when I explained that I was on the verge of defaulting on my mortgage I was offered ‘as much overtime as I wanted’,” he said.
“This made zero sense to me since they initially said fatigue was an issue. Subsequently I tendered my resignation at which point I was contacted, urged not to resign and finally approved to work a second job one day per week on Saturdays which is absolutely ridiculous.”
Data released by ASMOF shows a staff specialist doctor in NSW is guaranteed to earn $262,000 per year. However, that is almost 40 per cent less than a person in the same position in South Australia.
An intern doctor in NSW earns $76,000, about $5000 less than the next closest state or territory. A senior resident doctor earns a wage of about $98,000 in NSW.
Dr Sarson, a former firefighter, said there was a “huge misconception” that doctors made big money when wages were “relatively poor” unless they pursued specialist training.
“I haven’t kissed my kids good night in weeks, for what, $38 per hour? Very frustrating situation,” he said.
“If I could pack my bags and pick up a job in Queensland I would do it without hesitation however NSW is my home, it is where my family are, it is where I have grown up.
“It is where I want to work.”
Responses to a staff survey from hospitals across Sydney, obtained by news.com.au, shows similar sentiments among young doctors in the NSW Health system.
The survey asked questions including: “What can be better? What would it take to keep you in a NSW Hospital? Why are you considering leaving? What’s the general feeling surrounding staying here in NSW / Australia?”
One of the responses was: “everything can be better”.
Another questioned how NSW doctors were “the lowest paid state despite high living costs”.
“Professional stagnation in many specialty pathways deter ambition.”
The common theme among respondents was that they felt “understaffed and overworked”.
“It’s hard to go to work in NSW knowing how poorly we are paid compared to other states. I want to continue to work in NSW, but pay and conditions are significantly worse than other states,” another said.
Others included: “Worst pay in Australia with chronic under staffing from people leaving. Also large understaffing due to international medical students leaving after a few months.”
“NSW pay is the worst fml,” one respondent said bluntly, while another said “our working conditions are terrible. 70-80 hour weeks are untenable. We don’t eat. We barely sleep. There’s not even anywhere to park.”
NSW Health was contacted for comment.
On the eve of the strike, which ran from April 8 to 10, Premier Chris Minns said it “did not need to happen”.
“We want to pay doctors and all our healthcare workers more. We recognise that doctors had their ages capped for 12 years under the former government,” he said.
“But NSW taxpayers cannot afford to find a 30 per cent pay rise in one year.”
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the strike led to hospitals cancelling about 370 elective surgeries, 3020 outpatient appointments and 486 chemotherapy sessions.
He conceded the current wages of $76,000 a year or $38 an hour for junior doctors was “not commensurate” with their skills.
“I understand that doctors are frustrated at the difference in their wages compared to other jurisdictions. In particular for junior doctors,” Mr Park said.
“What I can’t do is resolve 12 years of wage suppression in a single year.”
ASMOF has demanded a “formal apology” from the government over “false allegations” that almost 500 cancer patients had their chemotherapy appointments cancelled due to the strike.
Mr Park’s office confirmed last week the figures were released “in error” and that what should have been said “was that 486 cancer patients had their oncology appointments cancelled, which included chemotherapy treatments”.
“The impact was enormous (on staff), the distress was enormous,” ASMOF executive director Dr Andrew Holland said on Thursday.
Originally published as ‘Ridiculous’: Sydney doctor works two jobs to pay bills
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