After years of neglect and cutbacks, the public healthcare system in New South Wales (NSW) is in crisis. Medical professionals are fighting hyperfatigue and hyperstress that’s making dangerous outside-of-work scenarios like suicide and addiction overwhelmingly prevalent. Dr. Fahad Khan, who has recently completed several 15 hour shifts in a row, stated that he has had microsleeps while driving home. At a payoff of just $38 an hour, more doctors like Steven are reconsidering whether this is a long-term career for them. The real-life catastrophe has ignited passionate debate between doctors. As Dr. Jemma Cho candidly portrayed her journey as “bleak,” it is clear that there are unseen barriers that they face.
Dr. Tom Morrison, who negotiates for doctors Dr Morrison admitted there were “deep cultural problems” in the NSW health system. He even shared clips of his own experiences with microsleeps mere minutes after starting to drive. This alarming reality underscores the imperative to address severely subpar work conditions for physicians. We spoke to dozens of these professionals, nearly all of whom are overwhelmed by stress.
A Crisis of Fatigue
Dr. Khalhan’s experience is indicative of a pattern that has continued to traumatize countless other healthcare workers. After exhausting 12-hour shifts, he’s often driving home in the same condition he would never let a trucker do.
“Within about five to ten minutes of driving I’ll start to have microsleeps,” – Dr. Fahad Khan
This reality is further complicated by the fact that many healthcare providers are dealing with crippling stress themselves. Dr. Khan shared how he personally knows of colleagues who have wet the bed at night because they were so paralyzed with extreme anxiety. Yet another physician owned up to soiling himself without knowing it.
These tragic occurrences underscore a pressing demand for change across the health system. Like Dr. Morrison said, physicians should be the first to call for safe, humane work hours. They must be assured of equitable remuneration for all they deploy.
“I don’t think it’s ambitious to be asked to have safe working hours,” – Dr. Tom Morrison
The ongoing trauma to the healthcare workforce is a major threat to patient safety and to the health and quality of care Americans expect to receive.
Financial Concerns and Systemic Issues
The financial remuneration for physicians in NSW has raised concern. A junior doctor earns approximately $76,009 annually according to the award rate, which many argue is inadequate given the demands of the job.
Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite has pointed out that while doctors deserve a pay rise, this will not resolve the underlying issues. He said that our healthcare system spends money in all the wrong places.
“Healthcare is like a black hole. You could pour dollars into it and not reach the bottom,” – Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite
He echoed our own findings by noting that only 60 cents on the dollar for healthcare is really high-quality care. Alarmingly, one third is wasted, and 10% harms patients. This data begs the question of how funds are being allocated and if they’re being put to their most efficient use.
That’s not to say calls for improved compensation aren’t justified. Pay increases are not the solution, Professor Braithwaite cautions.
“There’s a case for them to be paid more … but after that you just reckon you deserved it, and that’s what you’re worth now — so it’s only a sugar hit,” – Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite
Voices of Discontent
The exasperation within the health care workforce has spurred drastic measures, including booming mass healthcare worker resignations. As we reported earlier this year, more than 200 psychiatrists in NSW have resigned in protest of pay and work conditions. This exodus from health care is symptomatic of the profound and systemic discontent that runs through the nation’s health system.
Dr. Tom Morrison expressed dismay at how government officials addressed these concerns. He interpreted their comments as scandalous charges, not as an opportunity for productive conversation.
“These are bodies for serious professional misconduct, not for people who are standing up saying, ‘we’re working in an unsafe system’,” – Dr. Tom Morrison
The consequences of these systemic issues reach beyond the healthcare workforce. Patients are suffering — and dying — because of it. Dr. Jemma Cho shared her experience of burnout and a growing distrust of the system.
“I was incredibly burnt out and I had lost trust in the system. It was bleak,” – Dr. Jemma Cho
The impact on doctors’ mental health is severe. If we don’t take action to repair the damage, we’ll be stuck with terrible long-term consequences.
