Released 11 September 2024
ACTU Secretary Sally McManus joined HSUWA Pharmacy members at QEII for the Pharmacy department’s first Stop Work meeting held this morning, a major escalation in HSUWA’s campaign for a fair offer from WA Health after the Second Offer was unanimously rejected by the HSUWA Committee of Management.
Hospital Pharmacists are significant contributors to patient care in WA with over 750 Hospital Pharmacists delivering clinical services, manufacturing, and dispensing of medications as well as management of $350 million of medications in a complex supply chain annually. The scope and impact of hospital pharmacy functions are far reaching, acting as a complex support bureau for medical, nursing, safety and quality systems, policy functions, governance and compliance, digital and electronic systems management and more.
HSUWA Hospital Pharmacists are fighting for a serious and fair Third Offer that incorporates the meaningful reform to career pathways and pay necessary to attract and retain the public health workforce needed to deliver patient care.
This is the first time as part of the Union Agreement campaign that HSUWA Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacy Assistants have resolved to take mass action as a department.
This rolling action will continue through further Stop Work meetings across a number of metropolitan and regional hospital sites this week, and Pharmacy department members will also discuss options to further escalate this industrial action during these Stop Work meetings.
HSUWA Pharmacy department members have been driven to industrial action to express their discontent with the recent Second Offer, which did not adequately address the urgent need for modern career pathways and pay structures, and for adequate professional development support.
Hospital Pharmacists wrote to the Minister for Health detailing the high resignation rates, a lack of scope for career progression or recognition of additional levels of skill, inflexible pay structures, and the lack of acknowledgment of increasing professional and living costs that are driving professionals out of the public health system and compromising the delivery of public health services to Western Australians.
Their calls for meaningful career pathway reform to create a sustainable workforce that supports the development of the clinical knowledge needed to best serve patients have gone unanswered.
The message from HSUWA Hospital Pharmacists, and other Allied Health Professionals, is clear – the State Government must invest now in the public health workforce.
The claims made by HSUWA members in good faith are sensible measures that would reform decades old workforce structures into functional and contemporary career pathways capable of stopping the continuing exodus of essential professionals from the WA public health system.
The Premier and Health Minister must step in and ensure WA Health invests now in WA’s Pharmacy workforce.
An investment now will deliver dividends for WA health’s future and sustainability.
An investment now provides the recognition and respect that the public health workforce deserves.
Comments attributed to Naomi McCrae, HSUWA Secretary:
“Our public hospitals would cease to function without the highly specialised services of Hospital Pharmacists.
“In recent years, Pharmacists have continued to take on greater responsibility to improve outcomes for patients and drive efficiencies across the health system, and as a result have seen the required skills and clinical expertise associated with their roles broaden significantly.
However, our HSUWA Pharmacy members are at the same time expected to continue working under the same flat career pathways that have not been revised in over two decades and which do not reflect these contemporary models of care.
“Pharmacy department members who have dedicated their careers to delivering excellent patient care in the public health system have told Health over and over again that without urgent reforms to these antiquated career pathways, the severe current issues attracting and retaining the staff needed to deliver essential pharmacy services to patients will only intensify.
“The State Government must listen to HSUWA Hospital Pharmacist members and invest now to meaningfully support the Pharmacy workforce that plays an invaluable role in patient care.”
Comments attributable to WA Hospital Pharmacists:
“I have very high resignation rates. 2022 16 staff, 2023 14 staff, 2024 end of June 16 staff. I’m losing at least 10% of my staff each year and with it enormous corporate and clinical knowledge. Improving pay and conditions is one thing we can do to keep them in WA Health.” – Chief Pharmacist
“The work we have endured over the past few years needs recognition and needs financial renumeration in line with the increase to both cost of living, professional insurance cost, professional education which is deemed compulsory but comes at an increasing cost. This is driving intelligent, caring people out of health care, not by choice but by necessity.” – Senior Pharmacist
“There needs to be more scope (and equivalent remuneration) for career progression within Allied Health, and in particular, within Pharmacy. I became a registered Pharmacist in 2021 and have already reached my ceiling as far as career progression goes, in the area I am working within Hospital Pharmacy. How can that be considered career progression for a health professional with specialised knowledge?”– Pharmacist
“This week I celebrated my 27th year as a Senior Pharmacist at PCH, which meant I also celebrated 27 years at the same level as the flattened career structure left me with no alternative. I’d like to think that I am a far better pharmacist that I was 27 years ago but there is no way for that to be recognised.” – Senior Pharmacist
“I am hospital pharmacist with 13 years experience. Whilst I feel valued as part of the healthcare profession/hospital, I feel the pay structure (particularly Professional Level 2.1-2.3) does not show any appropriate growth. It discourages senior experienced allied health from progressing any further in their career and affects staff retention. We must acknowledge and remunerate experienced allied health in the new agreement.” – Senior Pharmacist
