Mater Staff Going For The Doctors
Newcastle Herald
Saturday September 8, 2007
MEDICAL staff at the Calvary Mater have vowed to keep fighting for more general physicians after a failure to fully address an identified staffing crisis.
At the behest of the hospital's medical staff council, a review of the hospital's department of general medicine was commissioned by Hunter New England Health (HNEH) last year and completed in February.It found an "urgent need" to employ 3.3 more full-time equivalent (FTE) senior medical practitioners to allow for "safe and sustainable work practices and conditions".The hospital's general manager, Colin Osborne, joined the campaign, putting a formal request to the area health service in May.Their response was made public in a press release issued late Friday, August 31, in which NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher endorsed HNEH's decision to grant additional funding enough money for 1.9 FTE positions, not the identified need for 3.3.Acting chairman of the Mater's medical staff council Aidan Foy said the much-needed enhancement was welcome, and was a significant improvement, but the fight was not over."Our view remains what it was before . . . we still believe we need another 1.4 people," he said.It is understood suggestions were made that the Mater should fund the shortfall, but HNEH acting chief executive Nigel Lyons has denied that the idea was ever suggested by or discussed with him.Osborne said there were discussions about whether the Mater had the resources within other areas of its budget to divert to general medicine positions."But after discussions with the area health service, it was agreed that we did not," he said.Dr Foy said the medical staff council did not have a view as to who should fund the positions, but they would pursue discussions with HNEH.Senior staff specialists at the Mater say their workload has been increasing significantly over a period of 10 to 15 years. The nation's ageing population is increasing the demand for general physicians (specialists who are required to treat complex, multi-system and chronic problems).While staff are being recruited, it will be up to existing, already over-loaded staff to fill in considerable gaps, because the new members of staff are unlikely to be in place until early next year, Dr Foy said."The pressure is still on. The [Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation] has written to the area health service . . . and remain involved."The extent to which the hospital is under-resourced is disputed by the area health service. We'll keep fighting for the remainder. We expect that all of our staff will ultimately be provided. We are realistic enough to know that we are not going to get it all at once."Osborne said the additional funding allowed a 40 per cent increase on the existing staffing level of the department (4.5 FTE) and should be put into perspective. "If we had more, we could do more. But is this good news? Yes, it certainly is, because it will mean our service is more appropriately resourced in the future than it has been in the past."He was "equally mindful" that demand on the general medical service would continue to be "significant"."We see this as an incremental step over time to getting further enhancements," he said.VITAL SIGNS* Founded in 1921, the Calvary Mater Hospitalis owned by a religious order, the Sisters of theLittle Company of Mary, and funded by the StateGovernment.* The Mater is the Hunter Region's major centrefor oncology services, haemotology and clinicaltoxicology.* These services are supported by the intensivecare unit, general and oncological surgery,general medicine and palliative care.* The hospital specialises in the diagnosis andtreatment of blood diseases, breast cancer andmelanoma.* The hospital is also home to the HunterMelanoma Unit and BreastScreen NSW andboasts one of only two stroke and enablementUnits in NSW.* At the completion of the redevelopmentproject now underway, the Mater will have 192beds.
© 2007 Newcastle Herald
