Doctor recognised for work, advocacy efforts

YOUNG Inverleigh-born doctor Gaby Bolton has been named the Australian Medical Association Victoria (AMAV) Junior Doctor of the Year.

The 31-year-old anaesthetic advanced trainee, who works at Monash Health, was presented with the award at the AMAV’s Parkville headquarters recently.

The award recognises a doctor-in-training who has made an outstanding contribution to the medical professions and the community.

Dr Bolton was selected by the judging panel for courageous leadership, exceptional advocacy for junior doctors, and her commitment to improving workplace culture and fairness for colleagues.

She was also recognised for her sustained efforts in promoting doctors’ wellbeing and equitable healthcare.

Those acknowledgements referred partially to her taking on the role as lead plaintiff in a successful class action against Peninsula Health over unpaid entitlements.

In a Federal Court decision last year, Peninsula Health was ordered to pay more than $300,000 in penalties for failing to pay overtime.

Federal Court judge Mordecai Bromberg found that Peninsula Health failed to pay for overtime work undertaken by Dr Bolton on 208 occasions between 2019 and 2021, when she was working as a doctor in training at Frankston Hospital, including general medical and cardiology rotations.

“I was motivated to take on the role as lead applicant against Peninsula Health out of frustration,” Dr Bolton said.

“The hospital refused to pay the $8.87 per week entitlement to each doctor as part of a uniform allowance to supply their own scrubs to minimise the risk to their families by taking their dirty, potentially infective clothes home, when they wouldn’t supply them to all doctors in the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Dr Bolton said that around that time, she received a call from a legal firm asking if she would be willing to be part of the unpaid overtime class action.

She said she knew she was not the worst affected by unpaid and unrostered overtime.

“But I did know if now was the time something could be done about that I was willing to do my bit,” she said.

“I’ve had more colleagues than I can count, from those just starting their careers to those that I admire as mentors, thank me for representing them, as many felt they were not in a position to take on that role for a variety of reasons – but in most cases the fear of it being a career-ending decision.”

Dr Bolton said she was honoured to be nominated for the award by her peers, and was particularly appreciative that it recognised the effort she had put in.

“I see it as a formal acknowledgement from the very people affected by these issues that my contribution to the medical profession was a worthwhile one,” she said.

“My biggest hope is for an end to the archaic system view that working excessive hours for free is just part of being a doctor.”

Dr Bolton said she also considered her award as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on women in medicine being leaders and innovators.

“Patients and colleagues often assume I’m a nurse because of my gender,” she said. “It’s not offensive that they think I’m a nurse; it’s offensive that they think I’m a nurse because I’m a woman.”

Dr Bolton said that was another systemic issues that needs to be overcome.

“Women are just as able to be doctors as men,” she said.