Victorian doctors to walk off the job amid ongoing pay dispute - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Up to 10,000 doctors plan to walk off the job on Thursday as negotiations with the government continue. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)

Victorian doctors across the state's public system will walk off the job for four hours on Thursday afternoon.

Unions say doctors are working under increasingly stressful conditions, including working up to 16-hour shifts.

Critical care areas such as emergency departments and intensive care units will be unaffected by the strike, according to the unions.

As many as 10,000 doctors at Victoria's public hospitals could walk off the job later this week amid an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

The industrial action, planned for Thursday afternoon, will see doctors stop work for the third time in two months.

But unlike earlier walkouts at key Melbourne and regional Victorian health services, this week's action will be statewide, with the union warning that up to as many as 10,000 professionals could walk off the job. 

While emergency departments will not be affected, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) said there could be disruptions to elective surgeries.

Unions are pushing for improvements to their working conditions, including a 12.5-hour cap on shifts, a limit of four consecutive night shifts — down from seven — and a 28 per cent pay rise over four years.

AMA Victorian president Simon Judkins said it was disappointing that negotiations with the state government were yet to yield a pay offer after 14 months and dozens of meetings.

Simon Judkins says doctors are frustrated that their conditions have not improved. (ABC News)

"We've been through three health ministers," Dr Judkins said.

"We've put our log of claims on the table, and as yet we haven't seen any offer from the Carroll government.

Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF) Victorian president Roderick McRae said the problem of excessive working hours and fatigue was so acute in hospitals that doctors felt they had no option but to strike.

"Our doctors do not take the decision to go on strike lightly. But the reality is they are being rostered on for 84-hour weeks and frequently work even longer when emergencies occur," Dr McRae said.

"They are often completely exhausted and burnt out, with little opportunity to rest between shifts."

He said the systemic fatigue presented an unacceptable risk to patient safety.

Doctor Kevin Shi, who is part of the same union, said doctors were "simply asking for conditions that will help us look after patients to the best of our ability".

Kevin Shi says Victorian doctors' working conditions are deteriorating. (ABC News)

The previous bid for a statewide strike was postponed after the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association argued before the Fair Work Commission that the notice period was inadequate.

In a press release about Thursday's strike, the AMA and ASMOF said staffing would remain above Saturday levels and patient safety would not be put at risk.

Government frontbencher Tim Richardson said the Victorian Minister for Health and Mental Health, Ingrid Stitt, had spoken of working hard to support health workers and doctors.

"Across government, we see the Carroll Labor government leaning in to support people that support Victorians the most," Mr Richardson said.

"We'll do everything we can to make sure that doctors get a good deal into the future."

However, Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said it was a "disgrace" that no pay offer had been made by the state government.

"The government has failed. They're failing these doctors, and ultimately they're failing Victorian patients," she said.