1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: And let's have a look at this because sas mooa 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: have adelaide emergency departments. Is the tweet have put out 3 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: a tweet this morning, just a short while ago, a 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: couple of hours now, saying ten people have been waiting 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: a whole day twenty four hours for bed a bed 6 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: in hospital, twenty three more waiting more than twelve hours. 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: Is waiting this long for a bed acceptable? Well, the answer, 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: of course is no, it's not. Bernadette Mulholland from the 9 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: essay Salaried Medical Officers Association on the line, Bernadette, good morning, 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: good morning. It's unreal. Ten people waiting twenty four twenty 11 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: three waiting twelve hours, unbelievable. 12 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're still seeing significant pressure on our hospital and 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 2: our hospital workers and delays for our patients. I mean, 14 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 2: we're hopeful now we're starting to see the number of 15 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 2: flu cases coming down, which is a good thing, which 16 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: means some of our workers who have been pretty sick 17 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 2: with the flure able now to be on the men's 18 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 2: and get back to work. But yeah, there's still enormous 19 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 2: and significant pressure on our hospitals and let's hope that 20 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 2: at some stage we might be able to do something 21 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 2: that will assist not only the patient's community, but the 22 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: workers as well. 23 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: Are you aware of any of these thirty three have 24 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: founder bed yet? 25 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 2: No, I'm not aware. I just did have a look 26 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,479 Speaker 2: on the health dashboard and I note that there's about 27 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: one hundred and forty three patients across the system waiting 28 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 2: for a bed within our hospital system. So that's always 29 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 2: a worrying trend. But certainly those high numbers have consistently 30 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: in white, which is a really bad time to be in. 31 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 2: Although still frequently on a daily basis, We're not saying 32 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 2: that for the extended period of time, but still we 33 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: consistently see, as we have over a number of years, 34 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: the pressure on our hospital, our hospital workers and trying 35 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 2: to get to speak. 36 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's incredible. And poor old people in the 37 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: hospital who come into this sort of pressure day in 38 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: day out. I suppose to some degree it's become the 39 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: norm for them, and just dealing with a backlog system 40 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: backlog to the girls. 41 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, and that's that's one thing I think which 42 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 2: is the tragedy of our health system is the impact 43 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,839 Speaker 2: that this consistent pressure has on our health workforce. We're 44 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: seeing certainly people reducing their time within our health system. 45 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 2: I think we really need to focus on the culture 46 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 2: of our health workforce now and they workforce generally, and 47 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 2: how we can ensure that we attract and with paying 48 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 2: our workforce. Certainly, when you work consistently in this pressure 49 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 2: clipper of a very long period of time, you start 50 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 2: to think and start without whether this is the actual 51 00:02:57,760 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 2: profession for you. And what we really want to do 52 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 2: is actually start to attract and retain and value and 53 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: respect our health workers who do it tough every day 54 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: in our hospital system and you just wonder how people 55 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 2: continue on. But they do it for the patients, they 56 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 2: do it for the community, and it's for them. It's 57 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 2: almost a calling in what. 58 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: They do, so you would expect then with I mean, 59 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: the government's been talking for the last year about beds 60 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: coming on stream and they're getting closer and closer, and 61 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: some have as you say, so has that made a 62 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: difference yet any of that? 63 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: Oh, Look, we're still waiting to see the difference how 64 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: it will impact on our health system. We know that 65 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 2: these beds will come online and we're hopeful that that 66 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 2: we'll reduce some of the day to day pressure on 67 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 2: our health workers and that patience can get into the 68 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 2: right bed in a timely fashion. So it's really important 69 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: and it's really pleasing to see those beds coming online. 70 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 2: But as you know, this has been a policy of 71 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: successive governments that reduce them. But based on what we're 72 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 2: playing catch up, we know that there's going to be 73 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 2: ongoing pressure for our elderly getting the health care that 74 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 2: they need, and we need to start to ensure that 75 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 2: we have the GPS available for everybody to be able 76 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 2: to see starts to focus all someone prevented his care. 77 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 2: But anythink at the moment will help. But I really 78 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 2: think it's focused on our workforce is essential working in 79 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 2: a pressure cooker every day to make sure that they're 80 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 2: feeling values and that they are getting the care that 81 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 2: they need as well. 82 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: Does the health system provide that? Does you know, are 83 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: people given I imagine if you're in that pressure cooker, 84 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: as you say, it'd need some extra time off. Are 85 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: there are there days allowed for people to recover their sanity? 86 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 2: Oh look, you know you have your your accessibility to 87 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: sick leave, but really no, that's not there. We know 88 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 2: that enterprise agreements are coming up for renegotiation over the 89 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: next six months, and maybe that's something that we all 90 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 2: want to have a look out to make sure that 91 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 2: that people who do work and some of these people 92 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 2: work twelve fourteen hour day consistently. We know of training 93 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 2: medical officers who have worked one hundred and twenty hours 94 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 2: in a fortnight, So we need to start to really 95 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 2: reflect on is that the best way to look after 96 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: our health workers and make sure we do build in 97 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 2: some of this well being and making sure we have 98 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 2: a well workplace for our clinicians to come to so 99 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 2: that they can provide the care to the patient. 100 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, I mean it's just done real. When we 101 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: open the phone, open the social media and see ten 102 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: people waiting twenty four hours for a bed, that's just 103 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: really poor. And hopefully we don't see that for too 104 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: much longer as beds do start to come on in 105 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: the next well what six months or so. 106 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, really hopeful for that and also hopeful that with 107 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 2: a change of whether we might see at least some 108 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 2: lessening of the demand. I mean, it's never going to 109 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 2: go away where consistently, as you say, let's hope this 110 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 2: is not going to become a norm. It's not an 111 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 2: environment we want anyone to work in. But it's always 112 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,799 Speaker 2: going to be I think for the next couple of years, 113 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 2: pretty tough for our health workers in our hospital system. 114 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: Although Bernadette, you say flu cases are down, I see 115 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: that the COVID stats out last week. There was about 116 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty four reported cases of COVID last week. 117 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: But that is reported. I just wonder how many people 118 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: are bothering to report anymore. But a warning today about RSV, 119 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: warning about hooping cough, So we we're not out of 120 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: the woods. 121 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: No, we're certainly not out of the woods. And I 122 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 2: think we've COVID upon us. I mean, it's very hard 123 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 2: to predict. So where we used to be able to 124 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 2: be able to say, well, this is just during the 125 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 2: winter periods now we don't see that consistency or that 126 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 2: sort of relaxation, although still very demanding. We see so 127 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 2: many diseases and viruses now that take a toll in 128 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 2: the demand on our health system. We see really sick 129 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 2: people now, our elderly and our doctors tell us of 130 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 2: the greater complexity that our patients who are coming to 131 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 2: our hospitals are experiencing. So it really needs a really 132 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 2: good response from both our state and our federal government 133 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 2: about how we're going to make sure that we've got 134 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 2: efficient health system, but at the same time that at 135 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 2: the workers are there, that we've got some workforce planning 136 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 2: in place, and that we reward our health workers who 137 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 2: are coming in daily our infou system, which is a 138 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 2: pretty hard flog 139 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: All right, Bernard, that I appreciate your time, Thank you, 140 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: Thank you, Bernadet MA Holland SA Salary Medical Officers Association