It comes after a February review discovered cases of "unacceptable behaviour" in the workplace
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) has unveiled a new action plan to address cases of "unacceptable behaviour" that it found in its workplaces.
Under the action plan, the RANZCOG said it is committing to the following measures:
- creating and delivering education on bullying, harassment, and discrimination
- reviewing structural support for trainees returning to training from extended leave
- appointing an independent reviewer for RANZCOG complaints
- publishing our complaint statistics in annual progress updates
- collecting more equity and diversity data and acting on any identified under-representation
"This action plan has been developed following widespread consultation with members, trainees and other stakeholders," said RANZCOG president Benjamin Bopp in a statement. "We believe the initiatives in the plan will help build and reinforce a culture of respect, in which we can all practise safely and provide the best care to our patients."
Read more: Bullying in NZ workplaces: How bad is it?
The action plan was unveiled after an external review of workplace culture in February had many RANZCOG members reporting gender bias, discrimination, bullying, and harassment in their respective workplaces in Australia and New Zealand.
In committing to the new action plan, Bopp stressed that such behaviours are "unacceptable" and apologised for the instances that they occurred in the workplace.
"Any form of bullying, harassment, or discrimination is unacceptable, and poses a risk to employee and patient health and safety. All our members and trainees deserve to work and train in a safe environment," said Bopp.
"Again, we regret that this behaviour has occurred and are sorry for any adverse impact it may have had on their lives."
RANZCOG previously pledged to uphold the "highest possible professional standards" obstetrics and gynaecology following the release of the February report.
"We are in this for the long haul and look forward to working with our members, trainees, and other stakeholders to help reinforce a culture of respect, in which we can all practise safely and provide the best care to our patients," Bopp previously said.
