Victoria’s hospitals are at risk of losing hundreds of key staff, an allied health survey of 1650 workers reported.
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The Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association results found the results alarming. Out of those surveyed from the Bendigo Health site, 75 per cent were full time workers, 20 per cent part time and 5 per cent fixed term. Eighty-six per cent of respondents from the Bendigo Health site are “very concerned or extremely concerned about the wage between Victoria and all other states in Australia.”
The survey report found 81 per cent of respondents are “very concerned or extremely concerned about increasing workloads with no corresponding growth in staffing levels.”
The report found that 40 per cent said sick leave was used as a means to deal with work stress.
Bendigo Health Allied Health director Sally Harris said the survey did not give an accurate depiction of the staff at Bendigo Health.
She said every two years a satisfaction survey was conducted along with exit surveys.
“I’m not aware of any of these issues,” she said. “We aren’t having any issues with sick leave.” The survey results come ahead of state-wide EBA negotiations.
But the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association rejected the union's claims, saying there was no evidence of an exodus of staff on the horizon with turnover rates within normal range.
"Clearly they are positioning themselves in the bargaining process," said chief executive Alec Djoneff.