The Doctors' Union says more than 200 psychiatrists plan to resign on January 21 unless a pay dispute with the New South Wales government is resolved. They are demanding a pay increase of 25 per cent but the New South Wales government says an offer of 10-point-5 per cent over the next three years is on the table.
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00:00This obviously signals a growing crisis in the NSW health system, particularly the mental
00:06health system.
00:07It comes after a 15 month stalemate with the NSW government over pay.
00:12More than 200 psychiatrists in the state have handed in their resignation letters to the
00:17union signalling that they'll be leaving their positions next week.
00:22Obviously time is running out for the NSW government to make a decision and obviously
00:27for the health system as well.
00:29The NSW government has offered a 10.5% pay increase over three years.
00:35Psychiatrists are calling for a 25% increase.
00:39They say it'll help bring them in line with some of their counterparts interstate, including
00:43some who are being paid 30% more than they are.
00:46They also say it'll help retain and recruit staff.
00:50We've obviously heard about the impact that this could have if it goes ahead on the health
00:54system.
00:55Here's what they had to say.
00:56The time to come to the table is now.
00:58We've been at the table.
01:01Nothing I've heard coming out of the Ministry of Health or the negotiations process has
01:08done anything to address things.
01:09It's only getting worse.
01:11Our psychiatrists have left because they've tried.
01:15They did everything they could.
01:16They worked harder.
01:17They ran a marathon.
01:18They got to the end of that marathon and then have been asked to run another marathon.
01:24As for the patients, they said there was a problem.
01:28And now we're told, think of the patients.
01:31We have been thinking of the patients.
01:34We've been thinking the whole time and we're worried about what's going to happen.
01:38We're on the brink of a collapse here.
01:40This isn't a crisis anymore.
01:42The NSW government has been pleading with psychiatrists not to take the action.
01:46We've heard from the mental health minister, Rose Jackson, who said that this pay increase
01:52for psychiatry staff specialists is more than it's been in a decade.
01:56So they're pleading with them not to go ahead with it.
01:58We also heard from the federal health minister, Mark Butler, who said that this will have
02:02devastating consequences on the health system.
02:05We've also heard from those psychiatrists who are resigning saying it was a difficult
02:09call to make, but they want there to be change.