Ms CARTER - 2004-06-15
At the end of this roster, 10 midwives are leaving the maternity unit at Alice Springs Hospital. I am advised that precious little has been done to replace them. What do you have to say to the pregnant women of Alice Springs due to give birth at Alice Springs Hospital in the next few months?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the first thing I would have say is, I will treat the assertions of the member over there with some reservation, given what we have seen of the truth or otherwise of some of the earlier assertions she has been making. I do not know how many midwives are thinking of leaving the Alice Springs Hospital. If midwives are thinking of leaving the Alice Springs Hospital and, in fact, leave, we will recruit midwives to replace them.
What I do know is that we have successfully recruited a midwife into Alice Springs only this week, and we will see the same effort put into recruiting after anyone leaves.
I say this again to the member for Port Darwin: do not make these assertions unless you are very sure of your facts, because it is all part of running down the public confidence in our hospital and its services.
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: Oh, they are finally finished?
Madam Speaker, I ask the member to be very careful about the facts she puts out on public record.
Madam SPEAKER: I do hope the members for Macdonnell and Goyder will report on their journey later on, and how long it took them.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the first thing I would have say is, I will treat the assertions of the member over there with some reservation, given what we have seen of the truth or otherwise of some of the earlier assertions she has been making. I do not know how many midwives are thinking of leaving the Alice Springs Hospital. If midwives are thinking of leaving the Alice Springs Hospital and, in fact, leave, we will recruit midwives to replace them.
What I do know is that we have successfully recruited a midwife into Alice Springs only this week, and we will see the same effort put into recruiting after anyone leaves.
I say this again to the member for Port Darwin: do not make these assertions unless you are very sure of your facts, because it is all part of running down the public confidence in our hospital and its services.
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: Oh, they are finally finished?
Madam Speaker, I ask the member to be very careful about the facts she puts out on public record.
Madam SPEAKER: I do hope the members for Macdonnell and Goyder will report on their journey later on, and how long it took them.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016