The Victorian Government has released the Final Report of the Ministerial Review into Victorian Public Sector Medical Staff Workplace Systems and Employment Arrangements, along with its formal response. The Report, completed in May 2024, had been under embargo until now.

Recognising the vital role of the medical workforce, the Victorian Government has accepted all but one of the Final Report’s 20 recommendations, either in full or in principle, and will take all reasonable steps to support and retain our current and emerging medical workforce within the public sector.

The accepted recommendations aim to improve fairness and equity in employment terms, provide greater stability and career progression opportunities for doctors, and strengthen standards for specialist training accreditation. The Government also supports enhancing workplace environments by addressing bullying, harassment and discrimination, with specific attention to the experiences of doctors in training.

Importantly, the Government has indicated its intention to incorporate these recommendations into discussions ahead of the next round of enterprise bargaining negotiations for public sector doctors. AMA Victoria and ASMOF Victoria welcome this progress and look forward to actively engaging with the Government to ensure these commitments translate into meaningful and lasting improvements for our medical workforce.

The Government’s full response will be available at:
https://engage.vic.gov.au/min-review-vic-pub-sector-med-staff (AMA Victoria and ASMOF Victoria are seeking clarification on when the documents will be posted)

AMA Victoria and ASMOF Victoria will continue to provide updates as implementation progresses and ensure members are informed and involved throughout the process.