Promoting health and wellbeing
- AMACDT x AMSA Mental Health Support Traffic Light Guide
- AMA Trainee Forum College Initiatives to Support Trainee Wellbeing - 2022
- AMA Position Statement Health and wellbeing of doctors and medical students - 2020
- Every Doctor, Every Setting: A National Framework: Guiding coordinated action on the mental health of doctors and medical students
- DRS4DRS
Bullying and harassment
- Responding to Bullying and Harassment Infographics
- AMA Position Statement Workplace Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment - 2021
Psychosocial safety
The AMACDT has been working hard to advocate for a psychosocially safe work environment for doctors and medical students across three platforms:
1. Increasing Hospital and Health Service Boards and Senior Management accountability and responsibility for providing a safe psychosocial work environment.
Legislation to support this has been introduced in South Australia and Queensland after strong AMA advocacy and this should be expanded across all jurisdictions.
2. Strengthening Occupational Health and Safety Regulation in each jurisdiction
The Productivity Inquiry into Mental Health (Action 7.1) stated that Australian, State and Territory Governments should amend Workplace Health and Safety arrangements in their jurisdiction to make psychological health and safety as important in the workplace as physical health and safety.1 This is particularly important for the healthcare system given the potential to prevent healthcare complications and complaints.
3. Strengthening the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards
Given the strong link between healthcare staff wellbeing and patient care/safety outcomes, and the increased focus on this issue, there is capacity for the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC)to strengthen the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. The strengthened Standards would encourage health services to adopt an evidenced based risk management approach to address psychosocial hazards in the workplace, with clear key performance indicators to measure progress towards this.