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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-03-02 Daily Xml
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Medical Training Survey

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:01): Supplementary: does the minister accept concerns that annual contracts of those trainee doctors who he spoke about—

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Does the minister accept that the annual contracting arrangement for trainee doctors is an impediment to submitting complaints about bullying and harassment in public hospital workplaces?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:01): Certainly, I would be concerned if that was the case. I think it is a responsibility of all employers to make sure that people are able to raise complaints without any fear of retribution. That includes a failure to have a contract renewed, loss of a promotion opportunity or, for that matter, any detriment.

I take the honourable member's point that a trainee might be under a contract. I suspect, in that sense, they are significantly at broader risk because the risk that a trainee might feel is that, if they offend their supervisor, they might not have training opportunities going forward. So I think it is really important for hospital management and people involved in the training network to make sure they provide an environment where people feel safe and supported to raise issues without retribution.

I would make the broader point—I have made the point that junior staff and trainees are likely not only to be contracted but also might be subject to other detriments—that in terms of contracting per se, a lot of our staff are on contracts, including quite senior people. Visiting medical specialists, particularly at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, would predominantly be on contracts. That is my understanding. Whether it's a renewal of a contract or a progression in a training program, first of all, people should never be subject to bullying or harassment and, in terms of making complaints, they should never experience harm or detriment because of having raised those complaints.

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