Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro says patient care will always be based on health needs in the NT, not race, following reports Indigenous patients are receiving fast-tracked care over other patients at a major Melbourne hospital emergency department

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now I did just mention this article in the Herald
Sun a short time ago, which is raising eyebrows around
the nation. Indigenous patients are receiving fast tracked care over
other Victorians at a major Melbourne emergency department. It's sparking
allegations of discrimination. Now in an Australian first, staff at

(00:22):
Saint Vincent's Hospital have been ordered to treat all Indigenous
patients within thirty minutes of arrival, putting them ahead of
other patients in some cases. Now the move has prompted
warnings that prioritizing care based on race risked undermining confidence
in a public system already under intense strain. Now it

(00:45):
is it's something that there are those at work in
health are stepping up saying, you know, this does not
seem like it's the right thing to do.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Now.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Joining me on the line right now is the Northern
Territory Chief Minister Finochiao. Good morning to your Chief Minister.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Good morning Katie, and to your listeners.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Now Chief, very quick interview this morning. This situation in
Victoria raising eyebrows around the nation. We've got a situation
near in Victoria where it's being reported Indigenous patients are
receiving fast tracked care over other Victorians in a major
Melbourne emergency department, sparking allegations of discrimination. Is this something

(01:26):
you'd ever consider for the Northern Territory?

Speaker 2 (01:29):
No way in the world, Katie, And can I just say,
what on earth is going on in Victoria at the moment.
They have some serious problems that they need to get
their head around. Patient care should always be triarged based
on neat, not on the color of your skin, or
your race or your religion. It should be on your
health needs. And to think that there is a hospital

(01:51):
in this country doing anything other than that is truly
horrifying and will never ever happen here in the Northern Territory.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Oh Hospital spokes and defended the policy, saying it was
part of a broader effort to improve access for Indigenous patients.
She said that research conducted at that hospital showed First
Nations patients were on average waiting longer to be seen
compared to non Indigenous patients. I mean, here in the
Northern Territory, are you confident that, no matter where you

(02:19):
come from, what your background are is, you'll get seen
as quickly as possible in our emergency.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Departments, absolutely, Katie, And that's what our wonderful nurses and
all of our health professionals who work in our hospitals
and in our clinics are trained to do. We've all
been there before, whether for ourselves or with our kids.
And you line up, you tell your story, you sit down,
and then they are then juggling all of the demand.
Now I acknowledge, of course there is sometimes significant and

(02:47):
overwhelming pressure on those staff and on the system, and
Territorians far too often wait far too long. But that
is a different issue to the one that Victoria is
really moving ahead that I just think it's a move
in the wrong direction. It will inevitably undermine confidence in
the system, and it might even cause people not to

(03:08):
present to hospital when they need to, which could lead
to really catastrophic outcomes as well, which no one wants
to see.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
There are some that might be listening this morning, Chief Minister,
that say, you know, some of our indigenous Territorians have
the worst health outcomes than anybody else around the nation,
and in some instances, you know, they may need to
be seen faster.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
But that will be judged on the health scenario at
the time. And so of course if someone presents with
chronic condition, then the health professionals who manage the triage
will manage that appropriately. And that's exactly why a fair
and equitable system is what health systems should be delivering
and nothing other than that.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Lea watch a message for those working in the healthcare
system today, but also for those listening that are maybe
you know, lining up and having a wait for ages
to be seen.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, just thank you so much. They are incredible. You know,
our heroes, our angels, the people that when we need
them the most are there for us no matter what.
And so you know, we recognize there is a lot
of pressure on territory wide hospital systems, but those stuff
in there, they all get a gold medal from me, Katie.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
Chief Finister Leah Finocchiaro, thanks so much for the quick.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Chat this morning, No raise, take care everyone.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Thank you