Melbourne Medical Scientists strike

Date: 30 May 2001

Chronic staff shortages in pharmacy, psychology, pathology and other areas are affecting staff and patients.

Medical scientists at two of Melbourne's largest teaching hospitals will walk off the job tomorrow to attend a rally to protest against severe staff shortages in public hospitals.

The action is being taken to protest against the Government's failure to resolve the crisis in hospitals which has left unsafe levels of staffing in pathology, pharmacy, psychology, audiology and dietetics. The Medical Scientists Association of Victoria is calling on the Government to inject 296 new positions into the system as a matter of urgency to allow services to be restored to safe levels.

The Union which represents scientific staff in hospitals, the MSAV, has called the rally to draw attention to the plight of patients and staff who are paying the price for these shortages. The Secretary of the Union, Ms. Rosemary Kelly said that the quality of services is at an all time low; "Some laboratories are so understaffed that members are working 50 hour weeks, there is insufficient time to verify pathology results, long delays are occurring in processing urgent tests such as HIV, pharmacists are unable to provide proper drug counselling to patients and psychologists can not properly monitor children with brain tumors.

"Our own study shows that the system is kept afloat by vast amounts of unpaid overtime and members forsaking their rostered days off. On average each of our members is only paid for 90% of the work they do," Ms. Kelly said.

The rally will be held on Thursday 31 May 2001 at 10.00 am on the steps of Parliament House, Spring St. Melbourne. The famous Snuff Puppets will attend to entertain and call on the Government to listen to scientists. Hundreds of white Lab coats representing the shortfall in staff will be laid on the steps of Parliament.

For further information

Contact:	Rosemary Kelly/Jennie Bremner
Union:	Victorian Trades Hall Council - OHS Unit
Phone:	9663 8122
WWW:	http://www.msav.org.au

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