Doctors sick of failure to fix ailing hospitals

SMH
NATASHA WALLACE
November 19, 2009

EXCLUSIVE

DOCTORS are appalled by what they say is a complete failure to implement vital reforms in public hospitals recommended a year ago, according to a survey released exclusively to the Herald.

It comes as an independent audit of the reforms released by the state Health Minister said hospitals were finding it increasingly difficult to provide quality patient care.

Three-quarters of doctors believe the state's public hospitals have not become a better place to work in the past six months and 71 per cent say the health service has cut clinical staff, according to the survey of 510 doctors.

Since Peter Garling, SC, handed down his landmark report a year ago, calling for an urgent overhaul of the state's hospital system, little has changed on the ground, the survey conducted for the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers, concludes.

Doctors were overwhelmingly negative about the lack of improvement and many said the only obvious reform was identification badges. One said: ''It's been mainly pictures on the wall and new badges - nothing that's going to change clinical care.''

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