Dr LIM - 1994-10-11
Having been a medical practitioner who has worked in private and public hospitals for many years, I sympathise with medical and nursing staff who work long hours to care for the ill and infirm. The continuing high occupancy levels at Royal Darwin Hospital have impacted significantly on the working life of nursing and medical staff over the past 12 months. What initiatives is the government implementing to recognise the efforts of hospital staff and to relieve pressure on them?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, in response to the member for Greatorex, it is the nature of professionals working in the health system, and staff working at Royal Darwin Hospital are certainly no exception, to have a tendency to put their patients before their own concerns. From that point of view, over the last year and certainly before that also, the staff at Royal Darwin Hospital have made an excellent commitment to the patients whom they treat and to providing health services to the people of the Northern Territory. The number of patients treated at RDH has grown from 3300, in September last year, to some 3800 per month in September this year. That indicates clearly a number of things. Firstly, there is an increasing demand for services and, secondly, significant efficiencies have been gained by RDH staff in treating patients, providing services for Territorians and doing that to very high standards of proficiency.
In respect of efficiencies being pursued by the department and the government to assist staff to continue delivering high levels of health care to Territorians, members will be aware that, earlier this year, some $1.2m was provided for the opening of a fourth operating theatre, an increase in the levels of service for day surgery and additional nursing staff to cater for that increase in activity. Indeed, additional nursing staff have been provided across the Northern Territory. This initiative will further relieve the pressure on RDH that has been experienced over the last year or so. A range of factors have helped to increase the demand for acute beds. The high numbers of low-dependency patients taking up acute beds at RDH has been a concern to management and measures have been put in place to relieve that pressure.
I made announcements only a couple of weeks ago in relation to an additional 12 step-down facility beds for adult patients to provide for those patients not requiring acute care to receive a level of care in line with the treatment that they require, whilst releasing for use by acute patients the beds that they are currently occupying. Similarly, 10 non-acute beds are to be established for paediatric patients. This will release 10 acute beds for child-care at Royal Darwin Hospital. This initiative will cost in the order of $850 000 and it is an interim action. In the lead-up to the election, announcements were made in relation to the establishment of a 30-bed step-down facility to be established in Block 4 which is occupied currently by the Menzies School of Health Research. Of course, that will not come on line until the new laboratory for the Menzies School of Health Research is completed in 1997. The government considered that it could not wait that long to provide some step-down beds. Consequently, in the interim, the 12 beds that I have just referred to will be put in place. These should be operational within the next month or so.
Page 206
The onset of cross-border charging has resulted in more interstate patients being treated in Darwin and that has led to an increase in demand for hospital places. Cross-border charging practices, as a result of the Medicare agreement, have resulted also in increased numbers of visiting specialists treating more local patients in Darwin. That has increased the pressure for beds at Royal Darwin Hospital. On a positive note, however, it has eliminated the need for many Territorians to travel interstate for treatment where previously that would have been their only option. Thus, there have been some benefits in that regard, but it has resulted in the increased demand for beds at RDH.
Members can see that a number of factors are contributing to the increased demand for bed places at Royal Darwin Hospital. Another important factor is the Aboriginal health profile across the Northern Territory and the high level of occupancy by Aboriginal people in our hospitals. I visited Royal Darwin Hospital a few weeks ago to meet with the staff and to announce the provision of the 25 additional acute care beds that will result from the 12 step-down adult beds, the 10 step-down paediatric beds and 8 dedicated rehabilitation beds that I announced late last year. Those initiatives are being implemented. The 25 additional acute care beds will increase to 32 following the announcement last week of the nursing home initiatives that this government will fund. The $650 000 for an additional 16 beds at the Salvation Army nursing home in Darwin will free up another 7 acute care beds at Royal Darwin Hospital.
In respect of the commitment of staff, I extend to them my thanks as the health minister for the services that they provide at Royal Darwin Hospital. These initiatives will lead to further easing of the problems that they have been facing there with the high level of demand. In addition, an internal committee has been put in place to investigate work practices at Royal Darwin Hospital, to see what efficiencies can be gained in relation to the work practices from the various professional groups which provide a high level of care to Territorians. I emphasise that any efficiencies gained will be retained within the hospital to further improve the level of service delivery in health care through the hospital. Given the opportunity that exists there for organisations such as the ANF and the Australian Medical Association and other professional groups, I am satisfied that it will be a productive process. I have asked for monthly reports advising me of progress in that area and a full report early next year to enable us to further the improvement in working conditions for staff at Royal Darwin Hospital and, most importantly, the service to Territorians.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, in response to the member for Greatorex, it is the nature of professionals working in the health system, and staff working at Royal Darwin Hospital are certainly no exception, to have a tendency to put their patients before their own concerns. From that point of view, over the last year and certainly before that also, the staff at Royal Darwin Hospital have made an excellent commitment to the patients whom they treat and to providing health services to the people of the Northern Territory. The number of patients treated at RDH has grown from 3300, in September last year, to some 3800 per month in September this year. That indicates clearly a number of things. Firstly, there is an increasing demand for services and, secondly, significant efficiencies have been gained by RDH staff in treating patients, providing services for Territorians and doing that to very high standards of proficiency.
In respect of efficiencies being pursued by the department and the government to assist staff to continue delivering high levels of health care to Territorians, members will be aware that, earlier this year, some $1.2m was provided for the opening of a fourth operating theatre, an increase in the levels of service for day surgery and additional nursing staff to cater for that increase in activity. Indeed, additional nursing staff have been provided across the Northern Territory. This initiative will further relieve the pressure on RDH that has been experienced over the last year or so. A range of factors have helped to increase the demand for acute beds. The high numbers of low-dependency patients taking up acute beds at RDH has been a concern to management and measures have been put in place to relieve that pressure.
I made announcements only a couple of weeks ago in relation to an additional 12 step-down facility beds for adult patients to provide for those patients not requiring acute care to receive a level of care in line with the treatment that they require, whilst releasing for use by acute patients the beds that they are currently occupying. Similarly, 10 non-acute beds are to be established for paediatric patients. This will release 10 acute beds for child-care at Royal Darwin Hospital. This initiative will cost in the order of $850 000 and it is an interim action. In the lead-up to the election, announcements were made in relation to the establishment of a 30-bed step-down facility to be established in Block 4 which is occupied currently by the Menzies School of Health Research. Of course, that will not come on line until the new laboratory for the Menzies School of Health Research is completed in 1997. The government considered that it could not wait that long to provide some step-down beds. Consequently, in the interim, the 12 beds that I have just referred to will be put in place. These should be operational within the next month or so.
Page 206
The onset of cross-border charging has resulted in more interstate patients being treated in Darwin and that has led to an increase in demand for hospital places. Cross-border charging practices, as a result of the Medicare agreement, have resulted also in increased numbers of visiting specialists treating more local patients in Darwin. That has increased the pressure for beds at Royal Darwin Hospital. On a positive note, however, it has eliminated the need for many Territorians to travel interstate for treatment where previously that would have been their only option. Thus, there have been some benefits in that regard, but it has resulted in the increased demand for beds at RDH.
Members can see that a number of factors are contributing to the increased demand for bed places at Royal Darwin Hospital. Another important factor is the Aboriginal health profile across the Northern Territory and the high level of occupancy by Aboriginal people in our hospitals. I visited Royal Darwin Hospital a few weeks ago to meet with the staff and to announce the provision of the 25 additional acute care beds that will result from the 12 step-down adult beds, the 10 step-down paediatric beds and 8 dedicated rehabilitation beds that I announced late last year. Those initiatives are being implemented. The 25 additional acute care beds will increase to 32 following the announcement last week of the nursing home initiatives that this government will fund. The $650 000 for an additional 16 beds at the Salvation Army nursing home in Darwin will free up another 7 acute care beds at Royal Darwin Hospital.
In respect of the commitment of staff, I extend to them my thanks as the health minister for the services that they provide at Royal Darwin Hospital. These initiatives will lead to further easing of the problems that they have been facing there with the high level of demand. In addition, an internal committee has been put in place to investigate work practices at Royal Darwin Hospital, to see what efficiencies can be gained in relation to the work practices from the various professional groups which provide a high level of care to Territorians. I emphasise that any efficiencies gained will be retained within the hospital to further improve the level of service delivery in health care through the hospital. Given the opportunity that exists there for organisations such as the ANF and the Australian Medical Association and other professional groups, I am satisfied that it will be a productive process. I have asked for monthly reports advising me of progress in that area and a full report early next year to enable us to further the improvement in working conditions for staff at Royal Darwin Hospital and, most importantly, the service to Territorians.
Page 207
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016