Emergency beds closed, doctors offered $2000 a day to work as strike begins

NSW hospitals are offering to pay junior doctors more than $2000 a day to work during a three-day strike as thousands walked off the job demanding better pay and conditions, leading to widespread elective surgery cancellations and emergency bed closures.

Around 3500 members of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF) NSW began their 72-hour industrial action on Tuesday with rallies outside NSW Health headquarters in St Leonards, Westmead Hospital, and two regional hospitals.

Hospital doctors are demanding changes to their pay and conditions, including safe working hours, compensation for unsociable shift work, and a 30 per cent pay rise to match wages interstate. The government has offered 10.5 per cent over three years.

Junior doctor Grace LeMarquand told the rally she routinely worked 13-hour shifts, seven days in a row, only to be asked back for an eighth shift because “there are not enough doctors”.

“In my years as a junior doctor, I’ve seen chronic understaffing and unsafe rostering,” she said. “I’m here [with] all my colleagues to demand change.”

Rehabilitation registrar Sean Smith said he planned to move to Queensland if the government did not offer an improved deal.

“We’re not even here for a pay rise, we’re here for pay equity,” Smith said. “We just want recognition – to be paid what we’re worth – as the rest of the country [is].”

Premier Chris Minns and Health Minister Ryan Park met with the union on Monday evening in an eleventh-hour attempt to avert the strike.