New campaign launched to promote respect for health workers

A new awareness campaign has been launched to promote respect towards our dedicated health workers, with staff members from the Department of Health featuring at the centre of the statewide campaign.

The campaign includes a television commercial featuring staff members from the Department of Health and highlights the tag line: “A healthy dose of respect helps everyone.”

The campaign also features radio and print advertising, posters to be displayed in our hospitals and health services, and staff-focused internal communications.

Every Tasmanian deserves to feel safe and be respected at work and, of course, this includes health workers.

There are more than 15,500 staff across the Department of Health, with the majority directly involved in the delivery of patient care.

Our highly valued health workforce should be able to go to work each day and feel safe and respected.

We realise that for some patients and their families, accessing healthcare services can be a stressful time, but it is never acceptable to take this out on our frontline workers.

Our dedicated health professionals do an outstanding job - often in high-pressure working environments – to provide high-quality health services to the Tasmanian community.

This campaign is about creating awareness around the need to respect the health workforce and importantly, ensure staff are well supported to care for the health and wellbeing of Tasmanians.

Secretary of the Department of Health, Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said the campaign has been developed with the simple message: A healthy dose of respect helps everyone. 

“In the majority of cases, our staff are treated respectfully by patients, and their families and friends. Unfortunately though, in some instances, we know our staff can experience aggressive behaviour and violence,” Ms Morgan-Wicks said.

“Sometimes the job of delivering care can be tougher than it should be. Without respect it can be harder for our staff to provide care for those who need it as quickly as possible. Everyone in our health system deserves respect, whether they are front line health workers or in support roles behind the scenes.

“This campaign is an important reminder to treat our health workforce with the respect they deserve.”

The campaign began on Monday, 20 November.