November 19, 2025 • 10 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us live on the line is actually the Minister
for Health, Steve Edgington. Hopefully I've got him there. Good
morning to you are.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Joe Oh, Good morning Katie, and good morning to all
the listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Thanks so much for your time this morning. Now, obviously
we're just hearing from the Chief Minister in terms of
that cyclone preparation before I get to the health issues
in terms of the hospitals, ow healthcare centers etc. What
work I guess is happening behind the scenes at the
moment from your perspective, to ensure that everybody is prepared
for this looming cyclone.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, certainly our executives have been planning for this over
the last couple of days and I had to have
a chance to speak with our Deputy Chief Executive yesterday
about that. So all the planning and preparation is underway
in the event of a cyclone hitting down or causing
problems or causing problems in regard to the health side
(00:53):
of things. But the hospital is very well prepared and
planning as well, and truly and the way should any
event happen.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Well, Health Minister. We discussed on the show yesterday this
health funding. We know the states and territories on a
collision course with the Commonwealth over public hospital funding. The
Health minister's expressing anger. White hot anger is how it's
been described over this letter from the PM demanding that
you all reign in the spending if you want to
(01:23):
funding deal, Honored Minister, you must have been pretty annoyed
when you got this letter.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Well, look, i'll tell you what, Codie. Just reading the
letter and the proposition being put to us that it'd
be necessary for us to reduce and growth in hospital
i should say, and costs to be more contained at
sustainable levels. And you know, I want to reassure everybody
that the work going on at the hospital is extraordinary
(01:53):
and the people on the front line, doctors, nurses, the
admin staff for all of the executive write through out
the Northern Territory is doing everything they possibly can to
maintain the health system and costs at a sustainable level.
This is work that goes on every day o the week.
So to see that put into a letter is you know,
it really makes me furious because we know the work
(02:16):
that goes on here, but in the perspective of asking
us to operate at more sustainable levels. Look, we're already
four hundred million dollars short when it comes to health
funding across the board, So I'm not sure what further
cuts we can make. Yeah, given that we're already four
hundred million dollars short from funding that the Commonwealth should
be paying us for Commonwealth responsibilities.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
We spoke to the AMA. Dr John Zilbers joined us
in the studio yesterday morning, and I hate to misquote him,
but he said something along the lines of, you know,
it's as if they're choosing the curtain color on the
building while we're inside and it's burning. You know, he
was pretty he was pretty annoyed, as are you, Like,
I get it right that you know that we need
(03:00):
to rain in spending across the board. You know, it's
something we've spoken about when we're managing the Northern Territory
budget very often. But when it comes to health services,
people want to be rest assured that they're able to
go to the hospital and that they're going to get
the service that they need.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Well, that's exactly right, Katie, And this is what I
find quite disregarding the work that we do. Doesn't mean
that we should be closing the doors of the ED
at the Royal dal On Hospital at four o'clock in
the afternoon. I'm not sure what the Prime Minister is
getting at, because we know that we've recently had a
code yellow in the Royal Darwin and Palmerston and the
(03:40):
amount of patients coming through the door is just extraordinary
levels and we can't cut back further. What we do need, Katie,
is to be brought into line with the National funding Agreement.
I've said this many times that whilst we get thirty
one point eight percent of the Commonwealth contribution rate, we're
still roughly about six percent behind, which is two hundred
(04:03):
million dollars a year short to start with. And really
what we're asking for is can we be brought up
to the national average that will give us two hundred
million dollars a year. But the National Cabinets said back
in December twenty twenty three that we would all get
to forty two point five percent. Now, this would give
(04:24):
us a certain amount of money two hundred million dollars
and extra to get on with the job deliver health
services across the territory.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Steve can I ask, as I'd understood it from some
of the other reporting over the last couple of days
there was going to be a meeting I thought with
the State and territory health ministers on this. Has there
been a further meeting on this in the last couple
of days.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
No, not the State and territory health ministers. Certainly we
keep in contact, but there was a Premiers and First
Minister's meeting I think it was yesterday other day before,
and I've spoken to the Chief Minister of so the
work conversations at the highest levels around where this funding
agreement is heading. But at this stage there is no
(05:09):
breakthrough when it comes to funding. We're on a pathway
and we're constantly negotiating with the Commonwealth because at the
end of the day, we want to negotiate in good
faith and we really want the Commonwealth to come to
the table and start matching our funding of the national
average at the moment.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Would you invite the Prime Minister to come and sit
in the emergency department at Royal Darwin Hospital for twenty
four hours and see just how busy it is.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Well, certainly, and perhaps that's what he needs to do,
because he's certainly the comments made in this letter, he's
either uninformed or unsure of what's happening right across the
Northern Territory, because as I was listening to doctors Orbis
the other day, we've got thirty times the national average
(05:59):
when it comes to end stage kidney disease. Here in
the Northern Territory. We've got one in three Aboriginal people
living with type two diabetes. We've got highest levels of
chronic disease in Australia. So I'm not sure exactly whether
the Prime Minister is across these issues, but the health
(06:19):
issues that territories are facing here in the Northern Territory
is over and above many parts of Australia at the moment.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And I reckon anyone that lives here, anyone that's gone
to any emergency department across our wonderful hospitals around the
Northern Territory would understand that A minister can I ask
did you have another meeting or did the department have
another meeting with the FEDS regarding those maternity services and
that ten million dollars? Is there any update on that figure.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
There's no further update, but those negotiations that are still going.
I think last time we spoke, I had sent a
further letter to Minister Butler. I have reached out to
him recently, so I'm hopeful that I'll have some answers
very soon in regard.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
To that minister. Before I let you go, just on
this hospital funding and you know, I know that we're
already stretched. I certainly understand the fact that we've just
come out of you know, that cold yellow last week.
But is there from your perspective, is there any capacity
for savings in our hospitals.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Not at the moment, Katie. We're always looking for savings
and at the moment we're stretched to the limit when
it comes to delivering health services right across the Northern Territory.
And I need to make this point, Katie, that it's
not just the two hundred million under the National Health
Reform Agreement. As I said before, we have roughly about
eighty stranded elderly people in our hospitals every day of
(07:47):
the week, and this is costing the territory forty million
dollars per year, where ninety five million dollars short in
primary healthcare, fifty one million dollars short for the care flight.
And now these are the point that I need to make,
is that these are Commonwealth responsibilities. We're delivering these services
on behalf of the Commonwealth, but they're not paying us
(08:08):
to do it. So that's one hundred and eighty six
million dollars. The two hundred dollars under the National Health
Reform Agreement is a separate issue in itself, so we're
talking four hundred million dollars of underfunding across the Northern
Territory at.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
The monment, Steve, really quick one before I let you go.
Last Thursday, we actually caught up with your CEO of
the Department of Health and he'd said that the reality
here is that we also need to start planning for
a new hospital, and you know he didn't shy away
from the fact that that would be in the billions,
not the millions. Do you think we're ever going to
be able to get there if we can't even sort
(08:41):
the funding out.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Look, that's it's a very good question, you know, putting
the funding issue aside at the moment to the Chief
Executive is exactly right. We've had ongoing conversations about the
need for a new tertiary hospital in the Northern Territory.
We know that the Royal down beyond its economic life.
What we do need to do is start planning for
(09:04):
a new hospital in Darwen. We are looking at options
at the moment around that and of course costings. He's
exactly right. We're not talking millions. We're talking billions to
build a new hospital. But we need to start planning
for the future because we can't keep adding on to
a building that's beyond its useful life.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Well, Steve Edgington, the Minister for Health, where are you
this morning?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Mate?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Are you in Darwin or have you managed to get
back to Tenant Creek where you've got to be dry.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
No, I'm not back in Tennant Creek yet, Katie. But
I did bump into Bill jenn and he was on
his way to Alice Springs. No, in fact, I'm on
my way to closing the gap per Minister's meeting.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Oh well, I'll let you go. I know you've made
some space for us this morning, and it's you fit
us in which I'm very grateful for.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Good on you, Katy, and look good morning to all
the listeners, and thanks for the opportunity to talk about health.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Thanks so much, Steve Edgington, Thank you, thanks so much
for your time this morning.
Joining us live on the line is actually the Minister
for Health, Steve Edgington. Hopefully I've got him there. Good
morning to you are.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Joe Oh, Good morning Katie, and good morning to all
the listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Thanks so much for your time this morning. Now, obviously
we're just hearing from the Chief Minister in terms of
that cyclone preparation before I get to the health issues
in terms of the hospitals, ow healthcare centers etc. What
work I guess is happening behind the scenes at the
moment from your perspective, to ensure that everybody is prepared
for this looming cyclone.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, certainly our executives have been planning for this over
the last couple of days and I had to have
a chance to speak with our Deputy Chief Executive yesterday
about that. So all the planning and preparation is underway
in the event of a cyclone hitting down or causing
problems or causing problems in regard to the health side
(00:53):
of things. But the hospital is very well prepared and
planning as well, and truly and the way should any
event happen.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Well, Health Minister. We discussed on the show yesterday this
health funding. We know the states and territories on a
collision course with the Commonwealth over public hospital funding. The
Health minister's expressing anger. White hot anger is how it's
been described over this letter from the PM demanding that
you all reign in the spending if you want to
(01:23):
funding deal, Honored Minister, you must have been pretty annoyed
when you got this letter.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Well, look, i'll tell you what, Codie. Just reading the
letter and the proposition being put to us that it'd
be necessary for us to reduce and growth in hospital
i should say, and costs to be more contained at
sustainable levels. And you know, I want to reassure everybody
that the work going on at the hospital is extraordinary
(01:53):
and the people on the front line, doctors, nurses, the
admin staff for all of the executive write through out
the Northern Territory is doing everything they possibly can to
maintain the health system and costs at a sustainable level.
This is work that goes on every day o the week.
So to see that put into a letter is you know,
it really makes me furious because we know the work
(02:16):
that goes on here, but in the perspective of asking
us to operate at more sustainable levels. Look, we're already
four hundred million dollars short when it comes to health
funding across the board, So I'm not sure what further
cuts we can make. Yeah, given that we're already four
hundred million dollars short from funding that the Commonwealth should
be paying us for Commonwealth responsibilities.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
We spoke to the AMA. Dr John Zilbers joined us
in the studio yesterday morning, and I hate to misquote him,
but he said something along the lines of, you know,
it's as if they're choosing the curtain color on the
building while we're inside and it's burning. You know, he
was pretty he was pretty annoyed, as are you, Like,
I get it right that you know that we need
(03:00):
to rain in spending across the board. You know, it's
something we've spoken about when we're managing the Northern Territory
budget very often. But when it comes to health services,
people want to be rest assured that they're able to
go to the hospital and that they're going to get
the service that they need.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Well, that's exactly right, Katie, And this is what I
find quite disregarding the work that we do. Doesn't mean
that we should be closing the doors of the ED
at the Royal dal On Hospital at four o'clock in
the afternoon. I'm not sure what the Prime Minister is
getting at, because we know that we've recently had a
code yellow in the Royal Darwin and Palmerston and the
(03:40):
amount of patients coming through the door is just extraordinary
levels and we can't cut back further. What we do need, Katie,
is to be brought into line with the National funding Agreement.
I've said this many times that whilst we get thirty
one point eight percent of the Commonwealth contribution rate, we're
still roughly about six percent behind, which is two hundred
(04:03):
million dollars a year short to start with. And really
what we're asking for is can we be brought up
to the national average that will give us two hundred
million dollars a year. But the National Cabinets said back
in December twenty twenty three that we would all get
to forty two point five percent. Now, this would give
(04:24):
us a certain amount of money two hundred million dollars
and extra to get on with the job deliver health
services across the territory.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Steve can I ask, as I'd understood it from some
of the other reporting over the last couple of days
there was going to be a meeting I thought with
the State and territory health ministers on this. Has there
been a further meeting on this in the last couple
of days.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
No, not the State and territory health ministers. Certainly we
keep in contact, but there was a Premiers and First
Minister's meeting I think it was yesterday other day before,
and I've spoken to the Chief Minister of so the
work conversations at the highest levels around where this funding
agreement is heading. But at this stage there is no
(05:09):
breakthrough when it comes to funding. We're on a pathway
and we're constantly negotiating with the Commonwealth because at the
end of the day, we want to negotiate in good
faith and we really want the Commonwealth to come to
the table and start matching our funding of the national
average at the moment.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Would you invite the Prime Minister to come and sit
in the emergency department at Royal Darwin Hospital for twenty
four hours and see just how busy it is.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Well, certainly, and perhaps that's what he needs to do,
because he's certainly the comments made in this letter, he's
either uninformed or unsure of what's happening right across the
Northern Territory, because as I was listening to doctors Orbis
the other day, we've got thirty times the national average
(05:59):
when it comes to end stage kidney disease. Here in
the Northern Territory. We've got one in three Aboriginal people
living with type two diabetes. We've got highest levels of
chronic disease in Australia. So I'm not sure exactly whether
the Prime Minister is across these issues, but the health
(06:19):
issues that territories are facing here in the Northern Territory
is over and above many parts of Australia at the moment.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And I reckon anyone that lives here, anyone that's gone
to any emergency department across our wonderful hospitals around the
Northern Territory would understand that A minister can I ask
did you have another meeting or did the department have
another meeting with the FEDS regarding those maternity services and
that ten million dollars? Is there any update on that figure.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
There's no further update, but those negotiations that are still going.
I think last time we spoke, I had sent a
further letter to Minister Butler. I have reached out to
him recently, so I'm hopeful that I'll have some answers
very soon in regard.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
To that minister. Before I let you go, just on
this hospital funding and you know, I know that we're
already stretched. I certainly understand the fact that we've just
come out of you know, that cold yellow last week.
But is there from your perspective, is there any capacity
for savings in our hospitals.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Not at the moment, Katie. We're always looking for savings
and at the moment we're stretched to the limit when
it comes to delivering health services right across the Northern Territory.
And I need to make this point, Katie, that it's
not just the two hundred million under the National Health
Reform Agreement. As I said before, we have roughly about
eighty stranded elderly people in our hospitals every day of
(07:47):
the week, and this is costing the territory forty million
dollars per year, where ninety five million dollars short in
primary healthcare, fifty one million dollars short for the care flight.
And now these are the point that I need to make,
is that these are Commonwealth responsibilities. We're delivering these services
on behalf of the Commonwealth, but they're not paying us
(08:08):
to do it. So that's one hundred and eighty six
million dollars. The two hundred dollars under the National Health
Reform Agreement is a separate issue in itself, so we're
talking four hundred million dollars of underfunding across the Northern
Territory at.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
The monment, Steve, really quick one before I let you go.
Last Thursday, we actually caught up with your CEO of
the Department of Health and he'd said that the reality
here is that we also need to start planning for
a new hospital, and you know he didn't shy away
from the fact that that would be in the billions,
not the millions. Do you think we're ever going to
be able to get there if we can't even sort
(08:41):
the funding out.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Look, that's it's a very good question, you know, putting
the funding issue aside at the moment to the Chief
Executive is exactly right. We've had ongoing conversations about the
need for a new tertiary hospital in the Northern Territory.
We know that the Royal down beyond its economic life.
What we do need to do is start planning for
(09:04):
a new hospital in Darwen. We are looking at options
at the moment around that and of course costings. He's
exactly right. We're not talking millions. We're talking billions to
build a new hospital. But we need to start planning
for the future because we can't keep adding on to
a building that's beyond its useful life.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Well, Steve Edgington, the Minister for Health, where are you
this morning?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Mate?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Are you in Darwin or have you managed to get
back to Tenant Creek where you've got to be dry.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
No, I'm not back in Tennant Creek yet, Katie. But
I did bump into Bill jenn and he was on
his way to Alice Springs. No, in fact, I'm on
my way to closing the gap per Minister's meeting.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Oh well, I'll let you go. I know you've made
some space for us this morning, and it's you fit
us in which I'm very grateful for.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Good on you, Katy, and look good morning to all
the listeners, and thanks for the opportunity to talk about health.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Thanks so much, Steve Edgington, Thank you, thanks so much
for your time this morning.
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