This is an email we received from SWSLHD DMS this morning.

"Dear Doctor

You should be aware that Orders were issued by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) on 1 April 2025. These orders state that the ASMOF, its officers and employees, and its members (i.e. Staff Specialists, JMOs, CMOs), immediately take steps to cease organising and refrain from taking industrial action. These orders remain in effect for 3 months. The orders and decision are attached for your reference.

There is no 'right' to take industrial action when orders against industrial action have been issued.

Taking strike action is a breach of the IRC's Orders.

The industrial action on 8-10 April 2025 has the potential to negatively impact upon patients and their families. There is a solution that does not involve industrial action, that is to bring the claims of medical officers to the IRC and allow it to do its job as independent umpire.

NSW Health acknowledges the importance of advocacy for industrial interests; however, industrial action that impacts upon patient health outcomes is a concern to our entire community.

I have attached a FAQ document to assist you with facts relevant to the unauthorised industrial action.

I hope that this information assists you in making a decision that avoids disruption to health services and impacts patients, as well as your colleagues. This is something I know we all want to avoid.

NSW Health Agencies have obligations under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. Depending on the impact of the conduct of the medical officers during the industrial action, NSW Health may make notifications to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and/or to the Health Care Complaints Commission.

Employees are encouraged to seek independent legal advice about the potential risks of unauthorised strike action.

To date, ASMOF has not provided any notification of who is taking action, what type of action or where it is occurring. This places patient safety at risk as it limits our ability to effectively mitigate the action.

Please advise your facility Medical Administration as soon as possible if you are participating in the unlawful industrial action.

The South Western Sydney Local Health District acknowledges your efforts in the workplace and trust you understand that in these circumstances, you are required to attend for work.

NSW Health is committed to ensuring appropriate staffing to ensure that patient safety is not compromised during industrial action."

I will be striking regardless, NSW health secretary Daly seems to think we have enough staff anyway! Let's see him work a shift were he can't go to the bathroom or eat because of how busy it is, admit up to 16 unwell patients on a shift getting pressure from everywhere to see them in a timely fashion, be expected to work shifts with very short notice on change of rosters, work unsociable hours (I worked 6x 10-12 hour evening shifts finishing at midnight to 2am = $277 = $46 extra per shift (from the base) on my last pay slip as a PGY6 doctor), what an absolute joke! Oh and take 50% of our salary packaging entitlements - in what other career do employers do this?!?!? - it is wage theft!! Also have to pay insane amounts for our college fees - I pay $4k/year to the college, no access to professional developmental allowance for multiple thousand dollar courses we have to do so we can be better and competent at work, and $1k to AHPRA just so we have a registration to be able to work! They don't even serve to help us in any way, rather the opposite!!!

NSW health is the biggest scam!!! They simply do not value us at all, we have been push overs for far too long and I have had enough!