Mr HENDERSON - 2000-02-29
Medical experts have recommended the Accident and Emergency Department at Royal Darwin Hospital should have 5 fellows of the Australian College of Emergency Physicians. Currently it has one. The minister knows that the last accredited specialist will not be renewing his contract when it expires in May. The department is about to lose its accreditation. What is the minister doing to avoid this impending crisis?
ANSWER
We are recruiting actually, Mr Speaker. We believe that if people go, we should try and recruit to replace them, and that is exactly what we are doing. I think it should be pointed out that the departing doctor, Dr Tristan, is well regarded. He has done a very good job in Accident and Emergency and has provided direct advice to me on a number of matters, and he will be missed. It happens from time to time that people leave and, in the case of key people like Dr Tristan, we would seek to have exit interviews, which have taken place, about his decision, and we would seek to look to those things that are factors in people leaving.
It is often the case that the reason people come here is for matters of lifestyle, so it is by no accident that this government puts so much effort into various documents like the Foundations for Our Future, where we look to improving the lifestyle of Territorians through addressing issues like law and order and mandatory sentencing being a part of that, through sport, through art and through recreation, and we make sure that those people who are coming to the Northern Territory are attracted. I can happily inform the House that the Territory is still an attractive place for medical specialists to come.
We have the services of Dr Luke Yip, a specialist emergency physician who is also a leading toxicologist, which are important skills in the Emergency Department. Dr Didier Palmer, another emergency specialist who worked in Darwin for 3 years and is high regarded by his colleagues, plus 2 other emergency specialists from WA will be commencing in the next couple of months. So, in the advent that there are people listening to this broadcast who believe that the further campaign of denigration of the Royal Darwin Hospital has any substance to it, let me assure them that it has not.
ANSWER
We are recruiting actually, Mr Speaker. We believe that if people go, we should try and recruit to replace them, and that is exactly what we are doing. I think it should be pointed out that the departing doctor, Dr Tristan, is well regarded. He has done a very good job in Accident and Emergency and has provided direct advice to me on a number of matters, and he will be missed. It happens from time to time that people leave and, in the case of key people like Dr Tristan, we would seek to have exit interviews, which have taken place, about his decision, and we would seek to look to those things that are factors in people leaving.
It is often the case that the reason people come here is for matters of lifestyle, so it is by no accident that this government puts so much effort into various documents like the Foundations for Our Future, where we look to improving the lifestyle of Territorians through addressing issues like law and order and mandatory sentencing being a part of that, through sport, through art and through recreation, and we make sure that those people who are coming to the Northern Territory are attracted. I can happily inform the House that the Territory is still an attractive place for medical specialists to come.
We have the services of Dr Luke Yip, a specialist emergency physician who is also a leading toxicologist, which are important skills in the Emergency Department. Dr Didier Palmer, another emergency specialist who worked in Darwin for 3 years and is high regarded by his colleagues, plus 2 other emergency specialists from WA will be commencing in the next couple of months. So, in the advent that there are people listening to this broadcast who believe that the further campaign of denigration of the Royal Darwin Hospital has any substance to it, let me assure them that it has not.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016