The state’s peak medical body has welcomed the move, just months after a Queensland-wide survey revealed a third of young doctors didn’t feel safe at work.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman on Tuesday announced the review would be led by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.

Australian Medical Association Queensland claimed the workplace culture in state hospitals needed to change fast, saying sexual harassment was a problem judging by the recent survey.

“Change doesn’t happen fast. It needs to in this case because we are losing healthcare workers due to stress,” AMA Queensland president Dr Maria Boulton told AAP.

The review into state hospitals’ sexual assault policies and procedures comes after concerning survey results of more than 700 junior doctors across the state.

The annual Resident Hospital Health Check results released in November revealed more than 30 per cent of young medics had experienced bullying, discrimination or harassment while a third reported that they had felt unsafe at work.

Dr Boulton hoped the review would be a stepping stone to workplace culture change in Queensland hospitals.

She said hospital staff were wary of reporting sexual harassment amid fears it will hinder their career while others simply did not know how to report it.

Some staff also fear walking to their car at night or to public transport.

“This is not acceptable,” Dr Boulton said.

“People deserve to go to work where they are experiencing excellent training opportunities, great supervision, and not workplaces where they are victims of bullying, discrimination or harassment.”

Hundreds of junior doctors were surveyed about employment conditions in 37 public hospitals across Queensland for the annual study conducted by Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland and AMA Queensland.

Dr Boulton hoped by the next survey no one would be complaining of workplace harassment.

However she believed it was not just a Queensland problem, saying it was a widespread issue in the Australian healthcare system.

“It still does not make it right. We need to be looking after all our staff,” she said.

Ms Broderick will consider policies and procedures in Queensland Health and Hospital and Health Services to ensure they are fit for purpose before making any recommendations to the government.

The review is in addition to laws the Queensland government introduced in 2023 to make Hospitals and Health Services and their boards responsible for staff wellbeing and promoting a positive culture.

“There is no place for sexual harassment or sexual assault in our communities, our workplaces, and especially in our hospitals,” Ms Fentiman said on Tuesday.

“We want all Queenslanders to feel safe in their workplace and supported appropriately when reporting harassment.”