10 August 2015

SJGHC Group CEO Dr Michael Stanford said everyone had the right to a healthy work environment and that a toxic culture within health care not only affected employees but impacted on patients.

“Doctors are an integral part of the care team. If discrimination, bullying or harassment is allowed to take place, performance suffers, and patient safety and quality will be adversely impacted.

“The critically important training and education of our health professionals will also be compromised.”

St John of God Health Care accredits more than 4,000 specialist doctors from various colleges in 17 Australian hospitals and is increasingly becoming an employer of doctors in training as well as specialists.

With more than 60% of elective surgery in Australia being done in private hospitals, Dr Stanford said the private hospital sector had an obligation to protect and care for its people whether directly employed or acting as consultants, as is the case with most specialists, including surgeons.

“Everyone has the right to a healthy work environment. Harassment, bullying and discrimination are unacceptable.

“We will be looking for opportunities to partner with the College and its Fellows on any initiatives that will improve the current situation.

“St John of God Health Care is a values-based organisation and we will continue to work internally with our accredited surgeons and other specialists who are leaders in their clinical teams to also lead and model the right organisational behaviours, consistent with our values as required under our by-laws.”