An ‘unacceptable’ email from human resources at a major public hospital comparing junior doctors to ‘clinical marshmallows’ has enraged healthcare workers.
The email was sent by mistake to a junior doctor at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, 170km north of Sydney, in response to a simple leave request.
It’s understood the junior doctor emailed HR to ask if they could take their Rostered Day Off (RDO) and the person from HR mistakenly sent their rude response.
It read: ‘Seriously! I wonder if any of them realise that they are a doctor and that this is what happens.
‘Oh that’s right. I forgot. Life style [sic] before career.
‘God help us in the future, we’re going to have a workforce of clinical marshmellows (sic).’
The Doctors Union of NSW has since slammed the email, pointing out that junior doctors were the ‘future of the public health system’.
‘Calling junior medical officers a ‘workforce of clinical marshmallows’ is not only offensive but reveals a deep disconnect between hospital administration and frontline staff who are working under immense pressure,’ a statement read.
HR accused junior doctors of putting ‘lifestyle before career’ in their response, which was accidentally sent to the doctor and has since caused uproar in the medical community
Dr Michael Mrozinski said the email was ‘unacceptable’ and revealed the ‘level of contempt’ HR departments have for junior doctors at major hospitals
‘Junior doctors are the future of our public health system. They deserve respect and support, not ridicule from those who should be advocating for them.
‘At a time when NSW is facing a workforce crisis, these comments are not just tone-deaf – they are damaging, demoralising and unacceptable.’
As the outrage of the wider medical community spread online, Hunter New England Local Health District was forced to apologise.
‘Junior medical officers are a vital part of our health service, and we sincerely apologise for the hurt and frustration caused by a recent email that was circulated,’ a spokesperson said.
But Dr Michael Mrozinski, who works as a rural GP in small hospitals across remote Australian communities, said the issue was worse than what was first reported.
‘The doctor was supposed to have the day off but HR were trying to get them to cover a nightshift,’ he said.
‘That email I posted (on TikTok the day before) was in response to them not picking up that night shift because it was a day off, so it’s even worse.’
While the hospital released a statement apologising, Dr Mrozinski said it was most likely the whistleblower who would be punished.
John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle (pictured) has since apologised for the ‘hurt and frustration’ caused by the email accidentally sent to a junior doctor
‘The doctor who released that leaked email is probably going to get into trouble more than the person who sent it,’ he said.
‘There’s absolutely no empathy and no respect either. That’s one of the things I noticed when I graduated as a junior doctor, people just don’t give a shit about you.
‘You have these people in admin who are in a room on the other side of the hospital who are basically controlling your life and they don’t care about you.’
Aussie nurses and doctors were quick to share their own horror stories.
‘When I was a nurse in ICU, the expectation was that we would work an overtime night shift, after an afternoon shift. So dangerous, but it was the culture!’ one said.
‘I just quit healthcare due to the toxicity in all aspects, especially admin! no one should work in that type of an environment,’ a second wrote.
The Doctors Union of NSW called for John Hunter Hospital and ministry leaders to address the toxic workplace culture that ‘enables these attitudes.’
‘Instead of mocking junior doctors, hospital administrators should be focused on fixing the chronic understaffing and unsafe working conditions,’ a statement said.
‘Doctors enter this profession to care for people, but they cannot do their jobs if they are belittled and dismissed by their own employers.
