Mr GUNNER - 2010-05-06
The government is proud of the dedicated and committed health professionals who deliver quality care to Territorians. Can you please update the house on how Budget 2010-11 supports and strengthens the health workforce?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as I have said before, I am very proud of my Health department. I am very proud of all 5700 health professionals employed by my department. This year’s budget of $1.16bn is the highest ever in the Northern Territory for the Health department. It will deliver further investment to provide one of the best health services in the country to Territorians.
We have provided $9.5m to provide an extra 95 nurses in order to boost the nurse-to-patient ratio. This is a record. The record of the CLP was a reduction of nurses in the health system by 200 from 1996 to 1999. We will provide $2m for the Super Clinic in Palmerston in order for people to access a GP 24 hours a day when fully operational; $6.5m for the Alan Walker Cancer Centre with additional specialist nurses, allied health and support staff; and $1.5m for Territory surgeons market allowance. We want to have these specialists here in the Territory and we are prepared to pay for it.
We have put an additional $600 000 for the pathology department at RDH to attract and maintain the right people in order to maintain quality staff for accreditation; and five extra environmental health officers for $580 000 because environmental health is vital, especially in remote and rural communities.
We grow our own workforce. I was very pleased to meet the first six graduates from the pharmacy school at CDU. From 2011, we will have our very own medical school in CDU in cooperation with Flinders University. I am also pleased that the department is getting an extra $0.5m for increased academic, vocational and technical education programs for school-based apprentices – our future workforce.
This is an investment for our future. This is an investment for our Health department. This is an investment in the health of all Territorians.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as I have said before, I am very proud of my Health department. I am very proud of all 5700 health professionals employed by my department. This year’s budget of $1.16bn is the highest ever in the Northern Territory for the Health department. It will deliver further investment to provide one of the best health services in the country to Territorians.
We have provided $9.5m to provide an extra 95 nurses in order to boost the nurse-to-patient ratio. This is a record. The record of the CLP was a reduction of nurses in the health system by 200 from 1996 to 1999. We will provide $2m for the Super Clinic in Palmerston in order for people to access a GP 24 hours a day when fully operational; $6.5m for the Alan Walker Cancer Centre with additional specialist nurses, allied health and support staff; and $1.5m for Territory surgeons market allowance. We want to have these specialists here in the Territory and we are prepared to pay for it.
We have put an additional $600 000 for the pathology department at RDH to attract and maintain the right people in order to maintain quality staff for accreditation; and five extra environmental health officers for $580 000 because environmental health is vital, especially in remote and rural communities.
We grow our own workforce. I was very pleased to meet the first six graduates from the pharmacy school at CDU. From 2011, we will have our very own medical school in CDU in cooperation with Flinders University. I am also pleased that the department is getting an extra $0.5m for increased academic, vocational and technical education programs for school-based apprentices – our future workforce.
This is an investment for our future. This is an investment for our Health department. This is an investment in the health of all Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016