QEII Hospital is celebrating after claiming the highest overall score in the state in the 2023 Australian Medical Association (AMA) Queensland Resident Hospital Health Check survey.
The survey, which assesses how effectively Queensland public training hospitals respond to the needs of doctors in training, asked trainee doctors to answer questions on everything from access to professional development leave, to ease of payment of overtime and workplace culture.
With an overall score of B+, QEII Hospital tied with Redcliffe for the highest ranking in the state, beating out 18 other hospitals for the top spot.
QEII Hospital Director of Medical Services, Dr Chris Bell said the first step in addressing workforce issues is retaining the staff you already have.
“At QEII, we strive to ensure all junior doctors have a great experience. As a result, many want to stay or look to come back when they’ve finished their training.
“At all levels in the facility, junior doctors are recognised as crucial for delivering good patient outcomes. As a result, management genuinely engages with junior doctors to help them do their job better,” Dr Bell said.
QEII Deputy Director of Emergency, Dr Allison Ryan says the results are a testament to the hospital’s culture.
“It's fantastic feedback for us because culture and support of our junior doctors is really important to our team. We want our junior doctors to feel safe and supported at work, so they're happy to come to work, to take care of themselves, their patients, and each other,” she said.
“It's great to get this recognition. It shows that we're on the right track, doing the right things and bringing cultural change focused on supporting people in the workplace.”
After joining QEII 13 years ago, Dr Ryan says the hospital’s prioritisation of staff wellbeing has a flow-on effect to both staff and patients.
“This team is really special because it recognises how incredibly important it is to care for each other,” she said.
“People who feel psychologically safe at work are less likely to make clinical errors, and are more likely to feel engaged, to contribute, and to bring their best selves to work.
“When you think about how important caring for patients is to so many people in the community, looking after wellbeing at work and caring for the team is vital to providing the best patient care we can.”
For detailed survey results visit: Resident Hospital Health Check 2023 | Australian Medical Association (ama.com.au).