SURGICAL NEWS

PRESIDENT’S
PERSPECTIVE
24 MONTHS
DAVID WATTERS
President
Kennett’s call to action
There is something confronting
about Jeff Kennett AC,
Chairman of ‘beyondblue’
warning Councillors of RACS and
other senior members of the medical
community that they ‘have 24 months’.
I was not working in the Victorian
Health Sector during the ‘Kennett era’
(1994-99) but I have heard many stories
of how he drove dynamic change,
confronting difficult, if not impossible
issues, from being in a ‘parlous state’ to
being ‘on the move’. I was even moved
to feel just a smidgeon of sympathy for
the demands that Kennett must have
placed on Hawthorn footballers when
he was President of that Premiership
winning club. But they have been
rewarded by responding and have
enjoyed much success.
On this occasion Kennett was at
the College, and focused on issues
of Doctor’s Mental Health in his
role as Chairman of beyondblue.
In numerous surveys, doctors are
reported as having substantially higher
rates of psychological distress and
contemplation of suicide compared to
both the Australian population and
other Australian professionals. Add
to these rates alcohol or substance
use and abuse, workplace and life
stressors, high levels of burnout,
barriers to seeking treatment, lack of
support and inflexible, unsympathetic
attitudes towards doctors with mental
health conditions. Today the medical
and surgical workplace is recognised
to be unnecessarily mentally toxic.
The evidence suggests this is so
much of a problem that Jeff Kennett
is undertaking a vigorous lobbying
campaign across Australia to demand
action. And if our action does not
achieve measurable improvements
inside 24 months, then he has said
he will start challenging politicians
of all types to impose solutions. And
as he warned us that these would not
necessarily be pretty, nor what the
profession would chose for itself.
The occasion of Kennett’s confronting
call to action was the formal launch of
the RACS Support Program provided
through Converge International.
This program offers up to four free,
confidential and independently
provided counselling sessions per year
for any Fellow, Trainee or IMG.
Converge International Managing Director Richard Kasperczyk, RACS President
David Watters and Chairman of beyondblue Jeff Kennett.
It can be accessed by contacting the
RACS Support Program (RACSSP) on
1300 687 327 (Australia) or 0800 666
367 (New Zealand).
I am pleased to report there
has already been highly positive
feedback across Australia and New
Zealand about the provision of this
confidential counselling service. The
RACS Council is now developing
further plans to support wellbeing.
As an example we are developing
links with Doctors Health Programs
that are available through a variety
of models in each region. Galvanised
again by the 24 month challenge, we
need to make a concerted effort that
will include provision of information
sessions, peer support activities and
educational modules. These need to be
incorporated not only into our training
programs but also be made available
for fellows’ continuing professional
development (CPD). Much needs to be
done. The clock is ticking.
The RACS Support Program is
deliberately profiled as providing
counselling and support across all
mental health issues. It is obviously
invaluable for the distress that arises
out of discrimination, bullying and
sexual harassment. The RACS Council
spent much time discussing the breadth
of this issue in June. Importantly the
Council formally received training in
handling this. RACS has accepted it has
substantial responsibilities in this space.
Indeed as leaders within our hospitals
and in the health sector, we have both
responsibilities and expectations. Two
of the most common themes being
discussed with me relate to the endemic
nature of this problem in the workplace
and also how as an educational body
6 SURGICAL NEWS AUGUST 2015