More than two thousand junior doctors in a-c-t hospitals have reached a settlement in a class action over unpaid overtime. The settlement is worth more than 30 million dollars, and the litigants hope it sends a clear message about what future doctors can expect.
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00:00As a junior doctor, Betty G and her colleagues worked large amounts of unpaid overtime, sometimes
00:09up to 15 hours a week.
00:11They felt it was expected of them.
00:14This is a deeply ingrained thought of, as doctors, you must be stoic, you must be tolerant
00:20of whatever treatment that's coming your way.
00:23It's an experience Dr G, now in general practice, hopes the next generation can avoid after
00:29a landmark settlement.
00:31You might feel vulnerable and powerless sometimes in the junior position, but if you see something
00:37that's not right, don't just put up with it.
00:40The class action was prompted by concerns the workload at both Canberra's public hospitals
00:46was leading to burnout and putting patient safety at risk.
00:50Many doctors I spoke to had a genuine concern that their excessive hours, their fatigue,
00:56was impacting their care for patients.
00:58The health minister has welcomed the settlement, saying it's a clear signal the workplace culture
01:04of the past is not okay.
01:06If junior medical officers are working unrostered overtime, tell us about it.
01:11Not only will you get paid, but that will inform future rostering activity.
01:15While the opposition has questioned how many doctors have left the ACT as a result of the
01:20issues.
01:21We need to keep them.
01:22They're so valued and important to our health system, but we know that the culture is an
01:26issue and this is something that the minister could have done early to fix the problem.
01:31Junior doctors who have worked at either hospital since December 2016 are eligible to make claims.
01:37They'll start to be assessed from next year.