NT Health has sent a letter to junior medical officers warning them that if they fail to complete a contract, they will not be hired again for at least a year.
Key points:
- NT Health has told junior doctors they face a 12-month employment ban if they resign early
- The department says early resignations could put patient safety at risk
- It comes amid escalating staff pressures at Royal Darwin Hospital
The letter was written by Dr Colin Feekery, who is the acting deputy director of medical services at Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospitals.
In his letter, Dr Feekery said the warning has been sparked by three early resignations from junior doctors.
“This applies to a part-time position or as a locum.
“Naturally, there are exemptions for those who apply for an early resignation for personal or family reasons.”
In the letter, Dr Feekery said early resignations from the service could have a “serious impact on patient safety”.
“I ask that you take into account the burden you put on your colleagues who stay the distance and the safety of the patients you leave behind,” he said.
Dr Feekery also thanked staff for their hard work, saying the service was “stretched”.
“The junior medical staff consistently go beyond the expected to ensure that your patients get the best of care,” he said.
In a statement, NT Health acknowledged the work of junior medical officers across the Territory’s health system.
“At no time is patient safety and quality impacted and all efforts are made to ensure staff do fulfil their contractual arrangements,” the statement read.
“We acknowledge there are occasions where a staff member may be unable to fulfil their contract.”
Growing staff pressures at Royal Darwin Hospital
The letter comes just days after the NT government called its fourth “code yellow” emergency of the year at Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), due to the hospital reaching its capacity.
It followed previous code yellows declared at the facility at the start of September, in August and in February.
Emergency doctors, the nurses’ union and the Australian Medical Association have all raised concerns about the rolling capacity crises.
As well as staff shortages, the government this week again blamed the capacity pressures on the numbers of beds needed for aged care, disability and mental health patients without alternative accommodation options.
In a statement, NT Health said patient safety was a priority and staff at RDH were working hard to ensure patients received the best care.
It also said the department was working to fill the gap in the system.
“NT Health is managing staffing levels across all hospitals and continues to undertake targeted recruitment campaigns to fill vacancies across our health system,” the statement said.
“Currently, there is a national wide challenge in recruiting to medical, nursing and allied health positions.”
