Mr DUNHAM - 2002-08-13
In an effort to demonstrate that you had a series of solutions to rectify problems at Alice Springs Hospital, back in Question Time on 14 May this year you informed the House that the hospital had two staff in excess of establishment. Can you tell this House if there continues to be a full complement of staff at Alice Springs Hospital and, more importantly, what the retention rates are for nursing and medical staff?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am very happy to answer this question from the member for Drysdale. I am sure he is, in fact, referring to a report on this morning’s news from the Australian Nursing Federation regarding nursing in Alice Springs Hospital.
I would like to report on the situation in the Alice Springs Hospital. I was very surprised when I heard this report from the ANF and immediately asked my staff to contact the department, and they have contacted the ANF. There are a number of misconceptions that the ANF have had in relation to nursing in Alice Springs, and we have organised a meeting and a briefing session with the department for next Monday, thus averting any form of industrial action.
In the meantime, I have also spoken to the Director of Nursing at Alice Springs Hospital, who has assured me that at no stage have patients been at any form of risk in the Alice Springs Hospital. I have also spoken to the Medical Superintendent at the hospital, who has assured me of the same thing.
In relation to the establishment numbers at the hospital, we are slightly below at the moment, but there have been reports of – misreports, I might say - of agency nurses at the hospital. There are, in fact, 16 agency nurses at the hospital, but it has been reported that there are a further 60. This is not correct. What has actually happened is that 60 were recruited through an agency, therefore we paid a fee to recruit them, but they are actually Northern Territory government employees. So, in fact, at this stage, the establishment levels are around the same that they were when I reported last time.
The key issue at the Alice Springs Hospital for the last few weeks has been a very serious increase in patients at the hospital. There has been a respiratory epidemic amongst children and the paediatric wing has been very full and this has put considerable strain on nursing staff in Alice Springs Hospital. This is something about which I am very concerned. I have asked my department to see whether there are other things that we can do to assist the nurses in this situation. I will be happy to report after the meeting with the ANF and the department, Madam Speaker.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am very happy to answer this question from the member for Drysdale. I am sure he is, in fact, referring to a report on this morning’s news from the Australian Nursing Federation regarding nursing in Alice Springs Hospital.
I would like to report on the situation in the Alice Springs Hospital. I was very surprised when I heard this report from the ANF and immediately asked my staff to contact the department, and they have contacted the ANF. There are a number of misconceptions that the ANF have had in relation to nursing in Alice Springs, and we have organised a meeting and a briefing session with the department for next Monday, thus averting any form of industrial action.
In the meantime, I have also spoken to the Director of Nursing at Alice Springs Hospital, who has assured me that at no stage have patients been at any form of risk in the Alice Springs Hospital. I have also spoken to the Medical Superintendent at the hospital, who has assured me of the same thing.
In relation to the establishment numbers at the hospital, we are slightly below at the moment, but there have been reports of – misreports, I might say - of agency nurses at the hospital. There are, in fact, 16 agency nurses at the hospital, but it has been reported that there are a further 60. This is not correct. What has actually happened is that 60 were recruited through an agency, therefore we paid a fee to recruit them, but they are actually Northern Territory government employees. So, in fact, at this stage, the establishment levels are around the same that they were when I reported last time.
The key issue at the Alice Springs Hospital for the last few weeks has been a very serious increase in patients at the hospital. There has been a respiratory epidemic amongst children and the paediatric wing has been very full and this has put considerable strain on nursing staff in Alice Springs Hospital. This is something about which I am very concerned. I have asked my department to see whether there are other things that we can do to assist the nurses in this situation. I will be happy to report after the meeting with the ANF and the department, Madam Speaker.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016