Employee health and wellbeing in Victorian public hospitals

We plan to determine whether responsible agencies effectively support the mental health and wellbeing of employees in Victorian public hospitals.

Why this is important

DH works with health services to support the mental health and wellbeing of employees working in Victorian public hospitals. They do this through policies and initiatives.

Safer Care Victoria, which is part of DH, and WorkSafe Victoria also provide guidance on supporting healthcare workers' wellbeing.

Our research and stakeholder consultation suggest that both clinical and non-clinical employees in Victorian public hospitals are working in unsafe environments that have led to mental health and wellbeing issues, including: 

• emotional fatigue
• high levels of burnout. 

For example, the Victorian Public Sector Commission's 2021 People matter survey showed that there are higher workloads and levels of workplace aggression or violence, bullying and sexual harassment in the health sector compared to the overall public sector.

What we plan to examine

This is a reasonable assurance performance audit. 

We will assess if DH and selected Victorian public health services effectively support their employees' mental health and wellbeing.

Who we plan to examine

DH, Austin Health, Barwon Health, Central Gippsland Health and WorkSafe Victoria

Timeframe

2023‒24

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