Mr MILLS - 2008-09-17
Today’s questions have gone to the competency of your government in running the hospital system in the Territory. Our nurses and doctors, and Territory patients, deserve much better. I ask you again, why are you ignoring the right of Territorians to know the truth about their public hospitals by refusing to support the opposition’s acute health care services inquiry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as I said at the beginning of Question Time today, the Health minister, in responding to the Coronial Inquiry in regard to the tragic death of Mrs Winter, has taken on board all of the recommendations of the Coroner, and all of those recommendations will be implemented. He has also commissioned the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards to review the clinical practices at Royal Darwin Hospital. Everyone who works at Royal Darwin Hospital will have the capacity to have input into ‘this expert review’ ...
A member: Will the evidence they take be made public?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The minister has also said that the findings of this review will be made public. The findings will be made public. It will not be, as has occurred in this Chamber over this last couple of weeks, a star chamber, a kangaroo court, with allegations being put to this Chamber …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: … without any evidence at all in regard to allegations that have been made against senior public servants. If we are searching for improvements in our system, then they will be determined by an independent expert review via the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.
When we talk about health, and what this government has done and what this government is doing, since 2001, we have seen the most significant expansion of the health system in the Northern Territory. We have seen the most significant increase …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: … in terms of new specialist services that are available in the Northern Territory; the most significant increase in terms of new doctors in the Northern Territory, 162 extra doctors since 2001, 433 additional nurses since 2001, and a health budget that has increased by over 89% …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … and is now marching towards the $1bn figure a year. By all accounts, there has been a significant investment in our health system, with significant improvements …
Mr Bohlin interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale, you are on a warning.
Mr HENDERSON: … in health care services that are available to the people of the Northern Territory.
Tragically, we had the death of Mrs Winter in 2006. The identification of the issues and circumstances of that death were very clearly identified by the Coroner. He made very specific recommendations as to what needs to be done to ensure that such circumstances do not occur again. Those recommendations will be implemented. They will be oversighted by Australia’s most pre-eminent expert, independent of the department, independent of the hospital, in the implementation of that new rostering system for nurses, and an independent review by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.
That is a comprehensive, open, transparent, response to the Coronial Inquiry …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: … open, comprehensive, transparent response to the Coronial Inquiry. The recommendations will be implemented and this government will continue to work on expanding the quality and the capacity of our health system right across the Northern Territory.
Ms LAWRIE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as I said at the beginning of Question Time today, the Health minister, in responding to the Coronial Inquiry in regard to the tragic death of Mrs Winter, has taken on board all of the recommendations of the Coroner, and all of those recommendations will be implemented. He has also commissioned the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards to review the clinical practices at Royal Darwin Hospital. Everyone who works at Royal Darwin Hospital will have the capacity to have input into ‘this expert review’ ...
A member: Will the evidence they take be made public?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The minister has also said that the findings of this review will be made public. The findings will be made public. It will not be, as has occurred in this Chamber over this last couple of weeks, a star chamber, a kangaroo court, with allegations being put to this Chamber …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: … without any evidence at all in regard to allegations that have been made against senior public servants. If we are searching for improvements in our system, then they will be determined by an independent expert review via the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.
When we talk about health, and what this government has done and what this government is doing, since 2001, we have seen the most significant expansion of the health system in the Northern Territory. We have seen the most significant increase …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: … in terms of new specialist services that are available in the Northern Territory; the most significant increase in terms of new doctors in the Northern Territory, 162 extra doctors since 2001, 433 additional nurses since 2001, and a health budget that has increased by over 89% …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … and is now marching towards the $1bn figure a year. By all accounts, there has been a significant investment in our health system, with significant improvements …
Mr Bohlin interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale, you are on a warning.
Mr HENDERSON: … in health care services that are available to the people of the Northern Territory.
Tragically, we had the death of Mrs Winter in 2006. The identification of the issues and circumstances of that death were very clearly identified by the Coroner. He made very specific recommendations as to what needs to be done to ensure that such circumstances do not occur again. Those recommendations will be implemented. They will be oversighted by Australia’s most pre-eminent expert, independent of the department, independent of the hospital, in the implementation of that new rostering system for nurses, and an independent review by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.
That is a comprehensive, open, transparent, response to the Coronial Inquiry …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: … open, comprehensive, transparent response to the Coronial Inquiry. The recommendations will be implemented and this government will continue to work on expanding the quality and the capacity of our health system right across the Northern Territory.
Ms LAWRIE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016