Public health survey reveals startling number of workers ready to leave their jobs

Almost a third of staff in WA’s public health system plan to quit their jobs in the next 12 months, an alarming workforce survey has revealed. The findings from the Health Services Union of WA survey paint a damning picture of the sector’s morale and the prospect of a mass staff exodus would push an already strained system to the brink of collapse. “We are locked in a cycle of catch-up and fragmented work arounds which is terrible for staff morale and costly,” HSUWA secretary Naomi McCrae said. HSUWA took the survey in January amid growing frustrations WA Health had allowed its Your Voice in Health employee engagement survey to languish since it was put under review last year. Last week the department put the survey contract to tender. The poll is one of few centralised measures of staff morale in the public system, and findings from previous years have offered a blistering insight into employees’ frustrations and concerns. The union-run survey of more than 2000 workers revealed most staff are feeling disenfranchised, undervalued and ignored — particularly by leadership. More than two thirds of those surveyed did not believe their organisation cares about their health and wellbeing, up from about half in 2023. Fewer workers than ever felt it was safe to speak up and challenge how things are done in their organisation, with just 33 per cent believing so compared to 53 per cent in 2023. Two-thirds of staff surveyed said it was difficult to attract and retain staff, while half believe there is shortage of their roles. And most feel there’s no end in sight. Three in four staff don’t believe their organisation is taking sufficient steps towards workforce planning for the future. “The State Government should be budgeting and planning for the health system they want for Western Australia, with workforce planning alongside infrastructure planning,” Ms McCrae said. “We could have a health care system where people can access quality public care with low wait times, because the workforce is well supported and resourced to deliver it.” The union boss said despite resourcing issues, there remained a widespread belief in the work being done at the coalface, with three in four respondents confident in staff teamwork delivering good outcomes for patients. Following the State election, she remains cautiously optimistic about working with the government on workforce improvements. “The appointment of the new Minister for Health, alongside the new Director General of Health last year, presents an opportunity for the whole health workforce to finally be front and centre in decision-making,” Ms McCrae said. “For the best patient outcomes, we must have a properly supported and sustainably staffed public health workforce.”