Health workers feel the strain

BARWON Health is working with staff to plan initiatives over summer to boost morale, as health workers battle fatigue after almost two years on the Covid frontline.

The health service’s head of people and culture, Lee Jeffery, said there had not been an increase in mental health or stress-related leave over the past two years.

“However, we are aware of the fatigue and increased stress across our workforce,” Ms Jeffery said.

“There is no doubt that the impact of the pandemic has been stressful for many people in the community, and our health service staff are no exception.

“Our frontline healthcare workers have had the additional demands of having to comply with new working arrangements, including wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) and working under Covid-safe measures.”

She said Barwon Health had a range of programs to support staff, including a confidential employee-assistance program.

“We are grateful to the commitment of our workforce who continue to serve the Geelong community, despite the increased pressure due to the pandemic,” she said.

Western Victoria Primary Health Network clinical spokeswoman Anne Stephenson said a number of GPs who probably would have worked for longer pre-Covid had retired earlier than planned due to the demands of responding to the pandemic.

“Primary health care has a culture of soldiering on rather than taking stress leave,” Dr Stephenson said.

“Reception staff, nurses and doctors have weathered a range of difficult and stressful situations, yet they have largely continued to turn up for work because they believe medical care is so important for their community.”

Dr Stephenson said after two years of Covid-19 there had “definitely” been an increase in levels of stress and burnout among healthcare workers.

“The coronavirus response has added enormously to the workload of the primary health sector,” she said.

“Primary health workers have continued to provide regular and accessible care for their patients, plus deal with the enormous demands of a global pandemic.

“This has been causing high levels of stress across the whole spectrum of primary healthcare workers such as GPs, nurses, practice managers and receptionists.”

Dr Stephenson said recognition of the impact of Covid-19 on the primary healthcare sector was slow to start with.

“But we are now seeing better recognition of the toll it continues to take,” she said.