00:00Hospitals have had their share of industrial action, but for the first time this century it'll be doctors walking off the job.
00:10We want to work, but we have been stretched so thin for so long and our cries for help have fallen on deaf ears.
00:21Doctors want a pay rise of up to 30% to achieve parity with other states and territories.
00:27They say life-saving treatment will continue during the strike, with staffing levels similar to those of a public holiday or a weekend.
00:35When you're talking about thousands of doctors over a three-day period, there are going to be impacts on patient safety, there are going to be impacts on patient's well-being.
00:44We don't need to do this.
00:46So yet again this week patients will face delays for elective surgery.
00:51They will face long waits in emergency departments.
00:55The government expects the big Sydney hospitals will be worst affected.
00:59The doctors' union says if the government can identify any critical gaps in care, its members will ensure they're filled.
01:06We can't identify the gaps if they cannot be prescriptive around the medical staff that will be on site for us to be able to identify that gap.
01:15It's chicken and egg.
01:17The government's warning doctors that not only would a strike be in defiance of the Industrial Relations Commission, it could also threaten their professional insurance or even their registration.
01:27It's dangerous for patients and it's risky for doctors.
01:30We call upon the Premier to stop the spin, to stop the scaremongering.
01:35The government says during the strike patients should contact the health direct hotline or their GP unless it's a life-threatening emergency.
Comments