Mr MILLS - 2008-09-16
Is it not the case that the nursing hours per patient day staffing model, which was recommended by the Coroner, was well known to you and your department since 2005; that your department had reviewed it on numerous occasions and recommended its implementation; that your government had agreed to its implementation in the now expired EBA with nurses in 2007; and that evidence from other states where the model operates shows that it increases the number of nurses employed, increases retention and reduces absenteeism?
Minister, why did it take the death of Mrs Winter for you to say that you would implement this model, and who determines health policy in the Northern Territory: the Coroner or yourself?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there is a number of questions in there. I will turn to the first one, which is about nursing hours per patient day. A number of elements mentioned by the member for Greatorex in his question are true., What he has not included in there is that, in the year since the EBA began, there has been engagement with the ANF and much progress made in the implementation of nursing hours per patient day. So much so, that I believe it provides a very good platform for Professor Duffield to now work with the department to implement it and also review it.
I will come back to the issue of who sets policy in the Northern Territory, and the function of the Coroner. The function of the Coroner is obviously to have inquiries, far-reaching inquiries, and the Coroner has far-reaching powers to inquire into matters. The Coroner has made a number of recommendations which government is implementing, and I have said, on the basis of the Coroner’s report, we would be implementing it very quickly.
In relation to who sets policy - government sets policy. I will come back to some of the major policy planks of this government. In the 2001 election, our centralist theme and plank was increasing nursing numbers. That was what we did in 2001. In the 2005 election, the same thing - increasing and undertaking to increase nursing numbers. We have done that; as I have said, approximately 440 nursing FTEs within the system. I have already alluded to the fact, based on the Health Department’s own reports, during the CLP time, that the CLP stripped out 200 nurses ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: It is true. I pick up the interjection from the member for Port Darwin. I am very interested to see how he actually rebuts - I tabled it the other day – how he rebuts it ...
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, it might be the same mathematics that he used the other day about executive numbers. I have just been waiting for the question about that, but I might wait a little longer – I might go to that in adjournment …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order, member for Braitling!
Dr BURNS: … and it will reveal the silliness of the member for Port Darwin. He does not understand. Tonight, I will get in the adjournment and I will lay it on the table. The shadow Treasurer is demonstrating that he does not understand numerators, denominators, percentages or numbers. He is all over the place. You mob had better watch out
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Minister, why did it take the death of Mrs Winter for you to say that you would implement this model, and who determines health policy in the Northern Territory: the Coroner or yourself?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there is a number of questions in there. I will turn to the first one, which is about nursing hours per patient day. A number of elements mentioned by the member for Greatorex in his question are true., What he has not included in there is that, in the year since the EBA began, there has been engagement with the ANF and much progress made in the implementation of nursing hours per patient day. So much so, that I believe it provides a very good platform for Professor Duffield to now work with the department to implement it and also review it.
I will come back to the issue of who sets policy in the Northern Territory, and the function of the Coroner. The function of the Coroner is obviously to have inquiries, far-reaching inquiries, and the Coroner has far-reaching powers to inquire into matters. The Coroner has made a number of recommendations which government is implementing, and I have said, on the basis of the Coroner’s report, we would be implementing it very quickly.
In relation to who sets policy - government sets policy. I will come back to some of the major policy planks of this government. In the 2001 election, our centralist theme and plank was increasing nursing numbers. That was what we did in 2001. In the 2005 election, the same thing - increasing and undertaking to increase nursing numbers. We have done that; as I have said, approximately 440 nursing FTEs within the system. I have already alluded to the fact, based on the Health Department’s own reports, during the CLP time, that the CLP stripped out 200 nurses ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: It is true. I pick up the interjection from the member for Port Darwin. I am very interested to see how he actually rebuts - I tabled it the other day – how he rebuts it ...
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, it might be the same mathematics that he used the other day about executive numbers. I have just been waiting for the question about that, but I might wait a little longer – I might go to that in adjournment …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order, member for Braitling!
Dr BURNS: … and it will reveal the silliness of the member for Port Darwin. He does not understand. Tonight, I will get in the adjournment and I will lay it on the table. The shadow Treasurer is demonstrating that he does not understand numerators, denominators, percentages or numbers. He is all over the place. You mob had better watch out
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016