Junior Doctors Accuse NSW Health of Blocking Study Leave
ASMOF, the doctors' union, has condemned NSW Health for allegedly forcing junior medical officers to use accrued days off (ADOs) instead of dedicated study leave, warning that the practice is pushing an overstretched workforce to a breaking point and undermining the training pipeline.
Harry Taruva 
Sydney - The union representing New South Wales doctors has accused NSW Health of fundamentally disrespectful management, claiming junior doctors are being denied essential study leave as they prepare for mandatory medical exams.
The Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation (ASMOF) reports that junior medical officers (JMOs) are increasingly being forced to exhaust their Accrued Days Off (ADOs), time earned for working unpaid overtime, rather than accessing the professional study leave guaranteed in their contracts.
The union identified Liverpool Hospital as a primary area of concern, where doctors have reportedly been told they cannot access study leave until they have reduced their ADO balances.
"Attempts to push doctors to use alternative leave, such as ADOs or annual leave, directly cheat them out of entitlements that they have a right to in the award," Dr. Isaac Wade, ASMOF Councillor and a doctor in training said.
"That study leave then expires, leaving doctors with even fewer opportunities for professional upskilling and development," he said.
The dispute arises amid what the union describes as a "crippling" doctor shortage and a workforce already fatigued by excessive hours, including 14-hour shifts worked seven days in a row.
Union officials argue that by making it harder for trainees to attend educational workshops and conferences, the health system is effectively sabotaging its own future.
"This is not just bureaucratic mismanagement; it is fundamentally disrespectful to the doctors holding our health system together," said ASMOF NSW President, Dr. Nicholas Spooner.
"If we undermine the training pipeline, we undermine the future of the entire health system," he added.
Junior doctors use study leave to complete the grueling examinations required to progress to senior specialist roles.
ASMOF contends that forcing doctors to use their "rest" time (ADOs) for intensive study further contributes to burnout and compromises patient care.
"Junior doctors aren't using study leave for extra-curricular interests or a free holiday," Dr. Wade added, adding that "We use it to attend educational courses... that directly lead to better, more evidence-informed care for our patients."
ASMOF is now calling for an immediate intervention by NSW Health to reinstate study leave entitlements and provide consistent guidance across all Local Health Districts to ensure the substitution of ADOs ceases.
