The issue of doctors’ mental health has been an ongoing concern within the medical profession and community. In order to provide the opportunity for junior doctors to raise their concerns on the issues they felt are impacting their health and wellbeing in the current medical training environment, NSW Health organised the JMO Wellbeing and Support Forum.
The forum was held on the 6 June 2017 with over 150 attendees. Please see the
JMO Wellbeing and Support Forum summary for more information.
JMO Wellbeing and Support Plan
The feedback provided by participants at the forum, along with the outputs of a literature review and other consultation activities, were used to develop the
JMO Wellbeing and Support Plan. The Plan
was published in November 2017 and focussed on ten practical initiatives that could be implemented to 1. Improve the ways we work to better support the health and wellbeing of our junior medical workforce.
2. Provide greater assistance to our junior doctors when burnout and other mental health issues do arise.
The Plan was based on the academic literature and advice from experts in the field, including specialists in suicide prevention, mental health and medical training and education. Most importantly it was based on feedback from JMOs themselves.
One of the key achievements of the Plan is the sustainable and lasting change it has made in areas such as fatigue management, parental leave and recruitment. However, there is more to do to ensure the best training and working environment for our junior doctors. The Ministry of Health will continue to work with JMOs, hospitals and medical colleges to make this happen.
The NSW Ministry of Health is grateful for the support all stakeholders have given to ongoing delivery of the Plan and acknowledges their dedication during these challenging times.
