No Cuts to Allied Health: Save the Health Sciences Library!

 

In late July, the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) announced a proposed change to the operation and staffing of the critically important hospital library. The proposal includes a reduction in staffing levels by over 50% and a significant cut in services.

 

RMH attests to the fact that the Health Sciences Library provides, “expert assistance to clinical and research staff and students … supporting patient care, research, quality improvement projects, and professional development activities” across the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Royal Women’s Hospital, Victorian Mental Health, and beyond. The proposed cuts will severely undermine this important work.

 

Medical librarians are highly skilled and specialized Allied Health Professionals who deserve to be treated with respect. The plan to transition the library to an infrastructure-only service (focused on e-resources, document delivery, and interlibrary loans) is short-sighted and disregards the valuable contributions of these dedicated workers.

 

It is important to note that the proposed changes are potentially at odds with the contractual obligations imposed upon RMH as a teaching hospital and could also contravene the accreditation requirements established by the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS) and the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria (PMCV).

 

Finally, it is disingenuous for RMH to avoid responsibility for this initiative by placing the blame at the feet of government, especially in light of the recent departmental announcement of an additional $1.5 billion in funding for our public hospitals.