00:01Well, it's obviously a significant action, isn't it, that could impact very busy hospitals,
00:07major health services and even a cancer treatment centre.
00:10One thing we don't know at the moment is exactly how significant the disruptions will be,
00:14given we don't know how many doctors will participate.
00:17But doctors' groups have warned that there could be delays and impacts this afternoon
00:22as that four-hour work stoppage gets underway.
00:25Now, those doctors' groups say it's necessary because they're effectively at a loggerhead
00:29with the state government after one year of negotiations over a new pay deal.
00:33They say the sticking points are things like unpaid overtime and out-of-hours communications with doctors.
00:40Some of the things that they say lead to burnout and workforce fatigue
00:44and eventually the potential that doctors make mistakes on the job.
00:48Those are things that they're desperate to avoid.
00:50A representative of the AMA spoke to ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning
00:55and they emphasise that patient safety and patient care will still be the priority
00:59as this action gets underway.
01:02Potentially, you may wait a little bit longer than usual to see a doctor,
01:05but there will be absolutely no disruption to our emergency services.
01:08So our doctors working in our EDs and ICU will be working as usual
01:13and we'll be making sure that there's adequate staff on the wards as well
01:16so that there's safe coverage.
01:17That's Stephanie Davies from the AMA speaking a little earlier.
01:21Now, zooming out a little bit, this dispute has the issue to cause headaches for the state government
01:26just a few months out from the state election.
01:29It's been just a few days, really, since they managed to end a long-running bargaining dispute.
01:34The state's teachers that saw educators walk out of the classroom twice earlier this year
01:40and now they've got to find a way to deal with this long-running pay dispute.
01:44The state government, for its part, has issued a statement saying that
01:47we're working towards a fair deal that acknowledges the contributions of doctors.
01:51They say that negotiations are underway and they'll continue in good faith.
Comments