THOUSANDS of doctors across New South Wales will proceed with industrial action from Tuesday to Thursday this week.

Moree’s Associate Medical Practice on Frome Street and Gwydir Medical in the Criterion Centre will not be affected, and it will be “business as usual” at Moree District Hospital.

The statewide action, led by members of The Doctors Union – ASMOF NSW – has been driven by widespread doctor shortages and unsafe working hours that put patients at risk.

ASMOF president, Dr Nicholas Spooner, said the Minns Government had failed to take any action and walked away from award negotiations, leaving doctors with no choice but to strike.

“Patients are struggling to see a doctor in NSW public hospitals. That’s because doctors are exhausted, burnt out and leaving the public sector,” Dr Spooner said.

“We are working dangerously long hours, including 16-hour back-to-back shifts with barely any rest, and often covering multiple roles due to chronic staff shortages.

“These conditions are unsafe for doctors and unsafe for patients. We’ve been negotiating in good faith for months, but the Government is still refusing to fix this crisis.

“Striking is a last resort for us, and we are doing this so the Premier might finally listen and act.”

Dr Spooner said the three-day strike would result in New South hospitals operating under public holiday or ‘skeleton’ staffing, meaning emergency departments and critical care units would remain staffed to safe levels.

“We want to be very clear with the people of NSW. Patient safety will not be compromised,” Dr Spooner said.

“If you or your family need urgent medical care at any hospital across NSW, our doctors and medical staff will be there to provide it.

“Emergency departments and critical care units will remain safely staffed.”

However, doctors will not undertake non-urgent duties, including elective surgery and outpatient clinics.

This mirrors typical hospital staffing arrangements put in place during public holidays.

Elective surgeries will be postponed – only emergency procedures will be performed – and outpatient clinics and non-urgent consultations will be cancelled.

Non-urgent medical procedures will be rescheduled.

Dr Spooner says doctors are leaving the state in significant numbers to work in other parts of Australia due to the unsustainable working conditions in New South Wales.

“With the threat of industrial action looming, instead of making a genuine offer, we have received the same offer the government made in June last year- a 3% pay raise. That will not assist in attracting and retaining the skilled staff specialists we need in NSW,” Dr Spooner said.

“NSW hospitals are dangerously understaffed, and doctors are being pushed to breaking point.

“Many are working 16-hour back-to-back shifts with little rest, leading to exhaustion, burnout and mistakes that put patients at risk.

“We urgently need safe working hours, including a guaranteed 10-hour break between shifts, to ensure fatigued doctors are not seeing patients,” he said.

“The reality is doctors are leaving NSW not just because of poor working conditions, but because it’s a daily struggle to deliver safe care in this environment.

“Chronic understaffing plagues our hospitals and makes providing quality, safe patient care difficult.

“It’s demoralising and heartbreaking to work in a system that is breaking down in real time in front of us.

“We don’t want to strike. We want to care for our patients safely. However, we will not stand by while the NSW government allows the system to crumble. The system is not sustainable, and we cannot continue like this.

“Right now some patients are waiting over 24 hours to see a doctor when they present to an Emergency Department,” he said.

“We have over 100,000 public patients on the elective surgery waitlist. Why is our Premier Chris Minns okay with keeping our patients waiting while their health gets worse.

“We call on Premier Minns to come to the table and provide the staffing, the conditions, and the respect that NSW doctors deserve. The future of our health system depends on it.”

New South Wales Minister for Health, Ryan Park, said in a statement the strike action breaches the orders of the Industrial Relations Commission.

“We do not want this,” Mr Park said.

“We reinstated the independent IRC for this very reason. The IRC allows workers to advance their claims without the limits of the wages cap the previous government imposed, without endangering the welfare and safety of the community.

“This is not something the government devised on our own – unions and workers fought for it, too.

“And we have always said our government would accept a determination of the IRC, whether it rules in our favour or not.

“I share the community’s desire to see our healthcare workers paid more – it’s why we’ve offered a 10.5 per cent multi-year wage increases – on top of the 4.5 per cent already in pockets – and sat down with unions over many years to deliver those pay increases,” he said.

“This is not a union without options – it is inexplicable ASMOF would actively choose to jeopardise patient safety over resolving its claim in the IRC.

“ASMOF’s strike plans will disrupt our hospitals and health facilities across New South Wales – both to emergency departments as well as planned surgeries – contrary to the union’s claims patient care will not be impacted,” Mr Park said.

“Preparations are now urgently underway to manage impact on our patients. Patients with surgeries postponed will be contacted.

“We remind the community that if you need advice, treatment or care and it is not a life-threatening emergency, HealthDirect should be your first call on 1800 022 222.

“You can continue to phone Triple Zero (000) in the event of an emergency,” Mr Park said.