Health Professionals

HSU Health Professionals are the silent backbone of NSW healthcare, ensuring people stay healthy and out of hospitals. But Health Professionals are overworked and burnt out from outdated NSW Health Awards.

Thousands of Health Professionals have left NSW Health in recent years and the exodus is only getting worse, leaving those left alone on the frontline.

261A3766

HSU Health Professionals are not staying silent any longer. After years of campaigning to get Award reform on the table, now is our time to fix NSW Health – not with band aid solutions, but genuine reform.

Over the coming months HSU members will be finalising the list of claims for new Awards.

There are five key demands:

  • Classifications and rates of pay that value the complexity of professional work.
  • Improved and transparent career progression.
  • Safe workloads and staffing.
  • CPD allowances and support for the time and cost of being a professional.
  • Improved working conditions.
Liverpool RTs

Background to award reform and the campaign so far

Did you know the Awards for Health Professionals were negotiated decades ago?

Because of the wages cap introduced in 2011, HSU members have been denied the right to negotiate and reform pay and working conditions.

HSU members have fought and advocated for this opportunity, it’s crucial we collectively make sure we get this right!

Timeline

  • 1992: Last time the Hospital Scientists Award was reformed.
  • 2003: Last time the Pharmacists Award was reformed.
  • 2006: Last time the Medical Radiation Science Award was reformed.
  • 2007: Last time Health Professionals Award was reformed.
  • 2008: Last time Medical Physics Award was reformed.
  • 2009: Last time the Psychologist Award was reformed.
  • 2011: NSW Government introduces a “Wages Cap” limiting employee related costs from Award changes to 2.5% per year. Employee related costs includes conditions, allowances, and classification changes beyond base rate.
  • July 2022: HSU members establish Health Professional Industrial Advisory Committees to begin work on Award reform, including launching a state-wide survey of members.
  • 2022: HSU members launch campaign in lead up to state election, with key demands on both parties:
    • Scrap the wages cap.
    • Special Commission of inquiry into Health Funding.
    • 100% Salary Packaging.
    • Genuine Award reform for Allied Health.
  • 2023: Then Labor opposition agrees to HSU members demands as key election commitments.
  • March 2023: Labor wins government in NSW.
  • July / August 2023: HSU members conduct consultation on structural amalgamation of Awards (see below for more details).
  • September / October 2023: Wages cap is removed.
  • October 2023: 80 HSU delegates meet with NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park, NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, and Ministry of Health. Receive commitment to Award reform.
  • November 2023: HSU members launch Core Conditions member survey.
  • January 2024: 140 HSU delegates come together to review survey and develop bargaining principles for negotiations.
  • February 2024: HSU elected Core Conditions delegates commence negotiations on Core Conditions Award.
  • May 2024: HSU Medical Imaging and Radiation (MIR) members hold a state-wide stop work meeting to launch log of claims for MIR Award.
IMG 9229

Thousands of HSU members have taken part in the development of a list of claims for the Core Conditions Award.

The Core Conditions Award is proposed to contain the conditions which should apply to all Health Workers across the state, regardless of location or vocational background. Examples of these types of clauses include sick / personal leave, rosters, higher duties, and status of employment.

98% of HSU members endorsed the log of claims for Core Conditions.

Liverpool v2

HSU Industrial Advisory Committees

The HSU Industrial Advisory Committees are the member-led engine rooms for Health Professional Award negotiations.

There are over 300 committee members across professions from metro, regional, rural and remote areas, leading research and development of award claims for negotiations.

Every claim members will vote on comes directly from the committees and are endorsed by committee members.

The committees meet monthly. If you are interested in attending committee meetings, please refer to the schedule below and send your Expression of Interest to [E-Mail not displayed].

Westmead cropped

Award Amalgamation

The structure of HSU Health Awards is out of date and not fit for purpose. HSU members currently sit in over 35 Awards and 15 determinations. Members may have an Award which does not reflect the work performed, have two Awards which could apply or no Award which applies.

In June 2023, members of the HSU Health Professional Committees began work on a project of how HSU Health Awards can be structured better into the future. Key to discussions were:

  1. Improving the strength of HSU members in negotiating improved pay and conditions through collective strength.
  2. Improving the operation and accessibility of Awards into the future.
  3. Ensuring a logical structure where like professionals will sit in the same pay Awards. 

Once this review was conducted and the Committee members endorsed it, a period of consultation occurred:

  1. Members meetings held between Friday 4 August and Friday 11 August to explain proposal.
  2. Friday 18 August: the Allied Health Award reform website went live with briefing and information about the proposal.
  3. 2-week feedback period with hundreds of members writing into provide input and propose changes.
  4. HSU professional Committees reviewed feedback.
  5. Friday 8 September: a formal survey launched for members to vote on the updated proposal. 

The outcome of this process has been wide endorsement, both at a Committee level and within the wider membership with over 90% of members endorsing the proposed Award structure.

If you wish to review the relevant briefing documents, please click below:

Award Amalgamation Briefing Paper

Award Amalgamation Presentation

Profession Specific Claims

Medical Imaging and Radiation

Radiation and Imaging Departments across the state have wait lists out the door and expensive equipment being underutilised because of attraction and retention issues.

This is a public health crisis – now is the time to fix it and stop losing highly qualified professionals to other states and industries.

 Click below to access key HSU member documents:

If you’d like to get more involved, please email [E-Mail not displayed].

Clinical and Non-Clinical Award

Clinical and non-clinical technicians and professionals are the silent cog in the health system, making sure patients get out of hospital and stay out of hospital. But this is about to change!

For too long, HSU members in these areas have been a secondary consideration to Doctors and Nurses. We know that no Health system in the world can run without us – now is the time to stop the bleed of staff from the system and recognise the complexity of this work.

  • Log of claims
  • Supporting document

If you’d like to get more involved, please email [E-Mail not displayed].

Scientists

COVID taught us many things - at the top of the list is the importance of scientists as the frontline in keeping communities healthy and protected.

Yet 32 years have passed since NSW Health recognised Scientists. We think the community expects better from their government – now is the time to fix this failing.

  • Log of claims
  • Supporting document

If you’d like to get more involved, please email [E-Mail not displayed].

Dental

Public Dental is breaking. The government spends large sums of money on vouchers which are used in private dental. This money can and should be used to fund public dental services.

This is not just about Award reform, this is about ensuring public dental services continue – now is the time to ensure the most vulnerable in the community can access supported and qualified staff to address their dental issues.

  • Log of claims
  • Supporting document

If you’d like to get more involved, please email [E-Mail not displayed].

261A6910

Resources

NSW Public Health System Awards and Determinations

Join the Allied Health Committee flyer

Join the Psychology Committee flyer

Join the Pharmacy Committee flyer

Latest News