Mr BELL - 1996-09-17
Last year, there were almost 2000 resignations from Territory Health Services, out of a staff of 3700 or 3800. Will the minister tell Territorians why 55% of his staff have deserted, and will he explain what effect this disastrous turnover is having on the delivery of health services to Territorians?
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, in response to the honourable member's question, I do not dispute the figures at this stage. I accept them at face value and I find them, frankly, unacceptable. If the situation were, though ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: If the situation were, though, that we had a large number of vacancies in Territory Health Services, I think his question might have more credibility. However, those positions are filled.
The fact remains, however, that staff turnover in Territory Health Services is very high. I will analyse that. On the information available to me from my own observations when visiting communities and hospitals, I have directed that programs be put in place to rectify the situation where we can. At the same time, we have to recognise the difficulty that is involved in delivering health services in the Northern Territory. Even with all the programs possible, we would still rely to a large extent on interstate recruitment of temporary staff to meet the needs of remote communities. There is a culture in the nursing profession of travelling around Australia, working in remote communities.
Ms Martin: What about all the nurses in Darwin?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: Those nurses manage their workload. No one would dispute the high stress that is involved in health service delivery in remote communities. The people who work in remote communities cannot do what people can do in other parts of Australia.
Ms Martin: Talk about Royal Darwin Hospital.
Mr BURKE: I will come to that in a second.
People in remote communities cannot do what people can do in other parts of Australia. They cannot buy their house. They cannot settle down. There is no permanency for them there. Thus, there is a highly mobile work force that works in remote communities for 3 months or 6 months at a time and returns interstate to rest. It then comes back to rejoin the work force. To a large extent, remote community nursing is an intractable problem in the Northern Territory. Doctors also are highly mobile, particularly doctors who are in the early stages of their careers and take any and every opportunity to move around to gain additional experience. These are 2 highly mobile work groups.
There is a high turnover of staff at Royal Darwin Hospital, and at other hospitals in the Northern Territory.
Ms Martin: Why?
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Mr BURKE: I will tell you what I know. I will analyse the information. I have given a direction - for example, exit interviews are to be conducted with every person who leaves Territory Health Services. That is occurring now, but not in a way that I am satisfied with. I am formalising that process further. I am writing to every nurse in the Northern Territory who is on the register but who is not working, asking why they are not in the work force at the moment.
Ms Martin: They will tell you they are in part-time work.
Mr BURKE: Yes, there are part-timers. I am hoping that part of that survey will give me better information as to where we can put in place some of the measures that are needed to stabilise the work force. I think that will involve at-work skills training and educators in the hospital. I have already given directions that a clinical educator is to be recruited for the neonatal ward. I think that will go a long way towards easing some of the problems there.
Mr Bailey: What about child care at the hospital?
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the minister please resume his seat. Members of the opposition know that they have 3 days in which to ask questions of ministers. The member for MacDonnell has asked a question of the Minister for Health Services. Let us hear his answer. If members wish to ask questions later, they will be able to do so, but they should not interject continually with further questions while the minister is attempting to answer this one.
Mr BURKE: There is a need for cross-cultural awareness training. I believe there is a need also for extended child-care facilities, at Royal Darwin Hospital in particular. That is something that I hope will come out of the survey. Of course, that will be something that I will have to lobby my Cabinet colleagues to have put in place.
Those are some of the measures that I am addressing at the moment. As I said, I do not dispute the figures. I find them alarming. Certainly, as Minister for Health Services, I will do everything I can to stabilise the work force.
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Page 1586
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, in response to the honourable member's question, I do not dispute the figures at this stage. I accept them at face value and I find them, frankly, unacceptable. If the situation were, though ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: If the situation were, though, that we had a large number of vacancies in Territory Health Services, I think his question might have more credibility. However, those positions are filled.
The fact remains, however, that staff turnover in Territory Health Services is very high. I will analyse that. On the information available to me from my own observations when visiting communities and hospitals, I have directed that programs be put in place to rectify the situation where we can. At the same time, we have to recognise the difficulty that is involved in delivering health services in the Northern Territory. Even with all the programs possible, we would still rely to a large extent on interstate recruitment of temporary staff to meet the needs of remote communities. There is a culture in the nursing profession of travelling around Australia, working in remote communities.
Ms Martin: What about all the nurses in Darwin?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: Those nurses manage their workload. No one would dispute the high stress that is involved in health service delivery in remote communities. The people who work in remote communities cannot do what people can do in other parts of Australia.
Ms Martin: Talk about Royal Darwin Hospital.
Mr BURKE: I will come to that in a second.
People in remote communities cannot do what people can do in other parts of Australia. They cannot buy their house. They cannot settle down. There is no permanency for them there. Thus, there is a highly mobile work force that works in remote communities for 3 months or 6 months at a time and returns interstate to rest. It then comes back to rejoin the work force. To a large extent, remote community nursing is an intractable problem in the Northern Territory. Doctors also are highly mobile, particularly doctors who are in the early stages of their careers and take any and every opportunity to move around to gain additional experience. These are 2 highly mobile work groups.
There is a high turnover of staff at Royal Darwin Hospital, and at other hospitals in the Northern Territory.
Ms Martin: Why?
Page 1587
Mr BURKE: I will tell you what I know. I will analyse the information. I have given a direction - for example, exit interviews are to be conducted with every person who leaves Territory Health Services. That is occurring now, but not in a way that I am satisfied with. I am formalising that process further. I am writing to every nurse in the Northern Territory who is on the register but who is not working, asking why they are not in the work force at the moment.
Ms Martin: They will tell you they are in part-time work.
Mr BURKE: Yes, there are part-timers. I am hoping that part of that survey will give me better information as to where we can put in place some of the measures that are needed to stabilise the work force. I think that will involve at-work skills training and educators in the hospital. I have already given directions that a clinical educator is to be recruited for the neonatal ward. I think that will go a long way towards easing some of the problems there.
Mr Bailey: What about child care at the hospital?
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the minister please resume his seat. Members of the opposition know that they have 3 days in which to ask questions of ministers. The member for MacDonnell has asked a question of the Minister for Health Services. Let us hear his answer. If members wish to ask questions later, they will be able to do so, but they should not interject continually with further questions while the minister is attempting to answer this one.
Mr BURKE: There is a need for cross-cultural awareness training. I believe there is a need also for extended child-care facilities, at Royal Darwin Hospital in particular. That is something that I hope will come out of the survey. Of course, that will be something that I will have to lobby my Cabinet colleagues to have put in place.
Those are some of the measures that I am addressing at the moment. As I said, I do not dispute the figures. I find them alarming. Certainly, as Minister for Health Services, I will do everything I can to stabilise the work force.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016