Doctor strike to hit public hospitals for four hours
A four-hour doctor strike is set to take place across Victoria’s public hospital system from 1:30pm to 5:30pm on 1 October, with a rally planned outside the Victorian Parliament.
AMA Victoria and ASMOF Victoria said the statewide action would be the first of its kind and would focus on working hours, fatigue and what the groups describe as a threat to patient safety. Emergency departments are exempt from the strike and staffing will remain above Saturday levels, the organisations said.
The action follows earlier industrial action in regional and metropolitan locations, after Victorian doctors outlined hospital industrial action on 28 September 2026.
Hospitals face four-hour stoppage
ASMOF Victoria president Dr Roderick McRae said doctors were being rostered for 84-hour weeks and often worked longer when emergencies occurred. “Our doctors do not take the decision to go on strike lightly. But the reality is they are being rostered on for 84-hour weeks and frequently work even longer when emergencies occur,” McRae said.
McRae said doctors had been in negotiations for more than 14 months and had dealt with three Health Ministers, but said their concerns had not been addressed by the Carroll Labor Government. He also said doctors had undertaken four separate strikes in specific regional and metropolitan locations.
AMA Victoria president Dr Simon Judkins said doctors were seeking a 12.5-hour limit to shifts and at least three guaranteed days off every fortnight. “To ensure we can provide the best care for Victoria’s patients, doctors are asking for a 12.5-hour limit to shifts and at least three guaranteed days off every fortnight to support proper rest and recovery,” Judkins said.
The strike is scheduled for 1:30pm to 5:30pm on 1 October across Victorian hospitals.
