Accusations, ‘lies’ and a tweaked news article

More than 3,500 doctors in New South Wales went on a three-day strike over wages and working conditions last week, with elective surgeries cancelled and emergency beds closed across the state. And the bitter dispute shows few signs of ending, with the state’s relationship with its various cohorts of health professionals in disarray.

After the conclusion of industrial action, an Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) decision ordered that the doctors refrain from further industrial action for the next three months. However the government remains in the midst of disputes with psychiatrists, as well as nurses and midwives.

The Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF), more commonly known as the doctors union, put out a statement last week that said strikes were “just the beginning”.

“We haven’t reached a deal, but what we’ve built this week is a movement.”

Today Crikey looks back at how the strike played out.

April 1: IRC orders doctors not to strike

On April 1, following protracted pay negotiations between the union and the NSW Government, acting Justice Peter Kite orders that the doctors union “immediately take steps to cease organising and refrain from taking any industrial
action on and from Wednesday, 2 April 2025 for a period of three months”.

April 2: Doctors plan to go on strike anyway

Following what the union calls “insulting” pay offers, the doctors commit to striking despite the order from the IRC, with the union committing to wearing any fines imposed as a result of the strike action.

The doctors are demanding a pay rise of up to 30% to match wages in other states, while the government had offered 10.5% over three years.

Despite the threat of up to 5,000 union members going on strike, NSW Health acting secretary Matthew Daly tells The Sydney Morning Herald that the medical system would be able to cope.

“We probably overstaff, and I think that’s a good thing in terms of patient care and safety,” he says.

April 3: Doctors threatened by government

Doctors around the state are sent threatening letters warning of potential professional standards investigations for striking workers. The Saturday Paper later reported that the letter was ordered by the Ministry of Health, and galvanised action from a wider cohort of medical professionals.

A copy of one of the letters, as well as the pro forma template distributed to senior health officials, has also been seen by Crikey. They state there is “no ‘right’ to industrial action when orders against industrial action have been issued”.

“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.”

April 7: Minister warns of ‘impact on patient care’

Despite remarks to the contrary from the acting secretary of the Health Department, Health Minister Ryan Park says a strike will have a “significant” impact on patients.

April 8: The strike begins

As strikes begin across the state, the government briefs media outlets with claims that chemotherapy appointments had been impacted en masse by industrial action.

A 9News article (which has since been amended in both headline and substance with an editor’s note attached) was initially published with the headline: “Cancer treatments and surgeries cancelled as 3,500 doctors go on strike”. According to the article, “chemotherapy appointments for 486 cancer patients were also impacted”.

Striking medical professionals speaking to Crikey said that they could find no evidence of chemotherapy appointments being affected by industrial action, with one oncologist posting on social media to deny the claim.

“Calling around all major cancer centres in Sydney no-one has identified any chemotherapy or cancer treatment being delayed. So this does not appear to be correct (to put it gently).”

Other oncologists who speak to Crikey say they have seen no evidence of chemotherapy appointments being affected.

April 10: Union denies impact on cancer treatments

Crikey contacts Health Minister Ryan Park’s office and asks about the breakdown of the local health districts in which the chemotherapy appointments were allegedly impacted, as well as for the office’s definition of “impacted”. Park’s office provided an updated figure of “667 oncology patients [who] have had their care impacted”, defining “impacted” as being “postponed or rescheduled or delayed”.

A spokesperson for the union tells Crikey that “no chemotherapy appointments were cancelled as a result of the industrial action. The NSW government has confirmed that 667 oncology patients had their care impacted, but this relates to non-urgent matters like consultations, not life-saving chemotherapy”.

April 11: Government accuses doctors of lying, before walking back claims

On the morning of April 11, Park’s office accuses the doctors of lying.

“It’s distressing that anyone would call into question the many patients who have had care impacted including over 600 oncology appointments,” a spokesperson for Park tells Crikey.

“We are still tallying up the final numbers but so far we know at least 12 patients who had to have their chemotherapy rescheduled. It was for this reason the Industrial Relations Commission ordered ASMOF not to proceed with their strike action.”

The spokesperson then adds: “ASMOF is lying when they say no cancer treatments were impacted by industrial action.”

But by the evening, Park’s office has walked back the claim, with 9News publishing an article titled: “NSW government walks back claims of cancelled chemotherapy appointments during doctors’ strike.”

A spokesperson for Park tells 9News that “On Tuesday, our office briefed media that 486 chemotherapy appointments had been cancelled as a result of industrial action. What should have been said was 486 cancer patients had their oncology appointments cancelled, which included chemotherapy treatments. We apologise to media outlets who were told this in error. That number has since risen to 667 cancelled oncology appointments.”

Have something to say about this article? Write to us at letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.