Member and Trainee Wellbeing

RANZCOG Wellbeing Position Statement: Outlining the College’s commitment to promoting and supporting, staff, trainee and member health and wellbeing.

A Better Culture: Working to improve the culture across all health workplaces.

Wellbeing Charter for Doctors: Medical colleges across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, including RANZCOG, collaborated on this charter so that we can advocate with one voice to institutions, governments and policy makers, ensuring the wellbeing of our doctors.

Medical complications and adverse events happen. The support you receive after an adverse outcome can be crucial to maintaining your wellbeing.

O&G Magazine articles

Coping with adverse outcomes in O&G (by Dr Rachel Collings and Dr Michael Williams) — includes a toolbox for dealing with adverse outcomes for the short, medium and long term.

Adverse events: when your care does harm (by Dr Denys Court) — provides practical self-care information, and includes the ASSIST ME model developed by the National Advocacy Unit, Quality and Patient Safety Directorate in Ireland.

Facing Adversity, Finding Connection webinar

Hear from senior colleagues about managing adverse outcomes and potential fears going forward if informal channels of support are gone. For access to a recording of this webinar, please contact: wellbeing@ranzcog.edu.au

Converge are available 24/7 as a confidential counselling service.

• Australia: call 1300 687 327
• Aotearoa New Zealand: call 0800 666 367
• Overseas: call +61 3 8620 5300

Book a Converge session online: organisation code THECMHJ

Converge is the EAP available to all RANZCOG trainees, SIMGs and Fellows (and their immediate family members).

Types of support available include: managers, conflict, careers, employees, legal, family, money, nutrition and lifestyle.

Domestic & Family Violence specialist helpline: call 1300 338 465

First Nations specialist helpline: call 1300 287 432

LGBTQIA+ specialist helpline: call 1300 542 874

Aotearoa New Zealand: call the Doctors Health Advisory Service 24/7 helpline +64 800 471 2654

Australia: contact DRS4DRS for peer support

Learn to activate your personal agency in high emotional labour settings for sustained wellbeing with our Emotional Intelligence and Compassion workshop.

Excessive working hours and resulting fatigue can impact both patient safety and doctors’ health.

The College’s Fatigue risk management in obstetric and gynaecological practice (WPI 18) guideline outlines organisational, departmental, and individual responsibilities to mitigate the risks of clinician fatigue.

Find a psychiatrist on the RANZCP website: under ‘patient groups’, select the dropdown option, ‘doctors, psychiatrists or medical students’

DHAS NZ are compiling a list of preferred treatment providers. Please call DHAS NZ on 0800 471 2654 if you’re seeking a treating practitioner.

Australia-wide: Find a psychiatrist on the RANZCP website, under ‘patient groups’, select the dropdown option, ‘doctors, psychiatrists or medical students’

NSW: AMA NSW Doctors for Colleagues (GPs)

NT: Doctors Health NT – Find a GP (GPs)

QLD: Doctors’ Health Queensland – Find a health professional (GPs and psychologists)

SA: Doctors’ Health SA – Find a GP (GPs)

TAS: Tasmanian Doctors Health Program (administered by the Victorian Doctors Health Program – preferred GPs, psychologists and psychiatrists)

VIC: Victorian Doctors Health Program (preferred GPs, psychologists and psychiatrists)

WA: Doctors Health Advisory Service – WA Doctors for Doctors (clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and GPs)

Hand-n-Hand provides free, confidential and independent peer support for all health professionals, care staff and non-clinical staff in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Australia-wide: Australian Human Rights Commission
ACT: Human Rights Commission
NSW: Health Care Complaints Commission
NT: Health and Community Services Complaints Commission
QLD: Office of the Health Ombudsman
SA: Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner
TAS: Health Complaints Commissioner
VIC: Health Complaints Commissioner
WA: Health and Disability Services Complaints Office

Alcohol Drug Helpline: information and guidance for you or someone else impacted by alcohol or drugs.

Lifeline Aotearoa: free and confidential community helplines answered by qualified counsellors and trained volunteers – available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand: a comprehensive list of helplines and services available in NZ that offer support, information and help.

OutLine Aotearoa: Rainbow mental health organisation offering specialist face-to-face and video counselling with experienced professionally qualified counsellors. Call 0800 OUTLINE (0800 688 5463).

Beyondblue: mental health resources and support

Lifeline Australia: support for people in crisis

SANE: support for people with persistent or complex mental health issues or trauma

Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA): supports people and families affected by anxiety and depression during pregnancy and in the first year of parenthood

Alcohol and Drug Foundation: includes a search tool to find local alcohol and drug services

Lifeline Domestic and Family Violence Toolkit: Understand what domestic and family violence looks like, how to recognise the signs, and where to find support for you and the people you care about.

Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents: Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) supports people and families affected by anxiety and depression during pregnancy and in the first year of parenthood

Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources: The ADF has developed a suite of alcohol and other drug (AOD) resources to assist stakeholders working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Resources include information on alcohol and drug treatment services, drug facts, health and wellbeing, and where to access support.

QLife: a free and anonymous service run by LGBTIQ+ people for LGBTIQ+ people. It provides Australia-wide peer support and referral service via telephone, 1800 184 527, or webchat.

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata (the New Zealand Human Rights Commission)

Visit Medical Council of New Zealand / Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa for more information on mandatory reporting.

Seeking help can often instil fear into medical practitioners and raise questions about mandatory reporting.

Download AHPRA’s mandatory notification guidelines

The Medical Board of Australia website contains additional information on how it manages notifications.

AHPRA video: A notification was made about me: A practitioner’s experience

Black Dog Institute: FAQs for confidentiality and mandatory reporting

The Australian Medical Association advocates on behalf of the medical profession and the public, operating at a federal level and within each state and territory.

ACT  |  NSW  |  NT  |  QLD  |  SA  |  TAS  |  VIC  |  WA

Pasifika Medical Association: a network of health professionals working together to meet the health needs of Pacific people in the region.

Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services may also be available through your primary College (e.g. RACGP, ACRRM) or your employer.

Please let us know if you need any assistance accessing EAP services.

Doctors Health Advisory Service NZ: ensuring every doctor has ready access to health care. Call 0800 471 2654

Health and Disability Commissioner NZ: information if a complaint is made about you.

NZ Resident Doctors Association: health and wellbeing information and resources for resident doctors.

Medical Council of New Zealand: support for doctors.

Te ORA: Māori Medical Practitioners Association.

Te ORA: Māori Medical Practitioners Association.

Australia-wide: DRS4DRS
ACT: Doctors’ Health Advisory Service ACT
NSW: Doctors’ Health NSW
NT: Doctors’ Health NT
QLD: Doctors’ Health in Queensland
SA: Doctor’s Health in SA
TAS: Doctors’ Health Advisory Service Tasmania
VIC: Victorian Doctors Health Program and Health Care Worker Wellbeing Centre
WA: Doctors Health Advisory Service WA

Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors and advocating for a culturally safe healthcare system.

CRANA: Crana’s Bush Support Services provides free confidential 24/7 telephone psychological support for all rural and remote health workers and their families.

Health & Occupational Wellness (HOW) Program: A flexible framework for embedding co-designed wellbeing initiatives in Hospitals and Health Services (HHS). The program aims to reduce burnout, improve wellness, and create an ongoing culture of occupational health and safety.

Fostering Respect: Supporting the cultivation of respectful O&G workplaces and training environments, free from bullying, harassment and discrimination.

Gain information and strategies to support the creation of a supportive and respectful workplace.

The Black Dog Institute website includes: integrating research studies, education programs, digital tools and apps, clinical services, and public resources to discover evidence-based solutions and resources to support better mental health for all Australians. Includes an online clinic.

• Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
• Wellbeing resources
• Resources for Health Professionals

RACGP’s Keeping the Doctor Alive is a self-care guidebook for medical practitioners.

Leading Kindness COVID-19 Toolkit is a healthcare-specific wellbeing program developed by doctors in training and awarded RANZCOG’s 2021 Group Wellbeing Award.

MindSpot offers free online assessment and treatment for stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and other mental health conditions.

• Indigenous wellbeing course
• Rural mental health
• Wellbeing course

Shift is an app to safeguard the mental health of JMOs. A free, easy-to-use app designed to help you monitor, improve and maintain your mental health and wellbeing while managing the demands of your profession. Search ‘Shift Black Dog Institute’ on the App Store or Google Play.

Smiling Mind is a unique web and app-based program developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance and mindfulness to people’s lives.

The Essential Network (TEN) was developed by health professionals for health professionals, TEN provides specialist, individualised mental health advice and triaged support to connect health workers to the help they need.

RANZCOG’s Training Support Unit is a confidential service for trainees, SIMGs and supervisors.

RANZCOG recognises that trainees and SIMGs may experience periods of professional and personal difficulty. Coping with the demands of a busy profession, developing skills, building knowledge, as well as balancing family and personal commitments can be challenging.

The College also recognises the importance of supporting supervisors, who ensure trainees and SIMGs receive vital learning opportunities and are given adequate opportunities to develop their skills.

Training Support Resources and FAQs

Watch our video about the Training Support Unit

Information for Training Supervisors

Hear from key members of the Monash Covid-19 Kindness Toolkit Group who created a peer-led series of workshops and resources using previously-validated tools to improve wellbeing and self-care, and avoid burnout for their peer trainees. Watch the webinar

Hear from key members of the Mater Mothers’ Hospital Critical Event Hot Debrief Working Party who identified a lack of formal processes for immediate support following events that emotionally impact staff. Watch webinar

To support your mental health and wellbeing, RANZCOG’s CPD Framework allows for educational health and wellbeing activities to be approved as part of your continuing professional development. If you’re not sure if a wellbeing activity is relevant, please email wellbeing@ranzcog.edu.au.