Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
As you heard on the show last week, we spoke
quite a bit about code yellows. It followed on from
the CEO of int Health saying but in budget estimates
that there hasn't been a need to call any code
yellows at Royal day And Hospital with patient flows and
capacity being managed in other ways. We know that there
were indeed eleven code yellows called at Royal daar And
(00:21):
Hospital last financial year, but there have been none declared
since the CLP came to power now. The Northern Territory
President of the Australian Medical Association, doctor John Zorbits, joined
me on the show last week saying that there are
still significant capacity issues at Royal dah And Hospital, with
patients in some instances waiting more than eight hours for
(00:43):
the care that they need. Now joining me in the
studio is the Health Minister, Steve Edgington. Good morning to
your minister.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Good morning Katie, and good morning till the listeners up
here and.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Darwell welcome back. I know you've been crooks, so I
hope you're feeling all right.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Ah tell you what. Last week spent a couple of
days in bed, but back feeling a lot better this week,
I'll tell you what just that two or three days
feeling really often I think it was really a bad
case of the flu, but feeling a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Better to well, we're pleased to hear it, and please
to have you in the studio now, minister. Tell me
In terms of these code yellows, it sounds like there
is still a need to call for code yellows, but
why are they not being called?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well, the reality is, as we spoke at Estimates last week,
the whole issue around code yellows has been you know,
everybody's been saying, oh, you know, there's been instructions given
to the CEO you shouldn't be calling code yellows. But
I think the real point here is that I need
to make it pretty clear that when we're talking about
(01:46):
capacity and bed pressures, we're talking about the numbers going
through the emergency department. Nothing has changed. And this is
the this is the real issue when it comes to
code yellows, because what we're doing differently, and the CEO
went right through this at Estimates last week, is that
what we're doing is managing patient flow through the ED
(02:07):
into the wards. And I think this is where the
difference is made is that he indicated last week to
estimates that he's not calling code yellows because what they're
doing is that they've changed the way that they're managing
patients in the ED, and that's by having what they
call fifteen minute huddles. It's about bringing people together and
working together on dealing with the current workload coming through ED.
(02:29):
So managing that patient flow is what has changed over
since we came into government, new CEO, new ways of
doing business, and you know, we're really happy with the
way that that's being managed. But I need to make
it very clear. The workload hasn't changed. We're still seeing
extremely busy periods through the ED.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
So I guess if the workload hasn't changed, it's really
just the way that it's being dealt with, is what
you're saying, is how you're doing things different. Like so
you don't feel as though there's any requirement for them
to call code yellows, is it?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Look? Look, everything I've been told and speaking to people
on the front line, speaking to the CEO, that those
huddles that are being held in the ED when that
work pressure builds up, that they're dealing with patient flow,
are we still seeing the same sort of workloads. Yes,
nothing has changed, But what we're seeing is those patient
(03:28):
flows being managed differently at the front line, and this
is where the difference is being made.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I know, when those cold yellows previously used to get called,
it did mean that things like the elective surgeries etc.
You know, had to be postponed or had to be
pushed back, which in some circumstances it seemed as though,
as frustrating as it might be for patients, it was
something that was absolutely required. Are you saying that there's
no longer a need for that.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Well, not saying there's no need for that. What we're
doing is managing the patient flows. So if you look
back on how the preview government and the managed code
yellows calling a code yellow, a number of things came
to a standstill, and those elective surgeries was one of
those that was often reported on that there was a
delay in those happening. What we're doing at the what
(04:14):
we are doing differently is managing the patient flow, ensuring
that patients are managed through ed into the wards a
lot more seamlessly.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
If it is being managed more seamlessly, why are we
still in a situation, as doctor John Zorbis had told
us where we're experiencing that access block, and he said,
that's a nationally recognized term when patients have to wait
more than eight hours for the care that they need.
You know, So what is happening to try and manage that.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, well, there's a number of things. And what we
are doing at the moment is building the new ward
at the rohald N Hospital, So that will help manage
some of the numbers that we're seeing coming through ED
that that work is underway at the moment. That'll be
a ground floor ward where there will be opacity to
increase I think a further two flaws if necessary moving forward,
(05:04):
so that ward should be online I think by around
about late this year or early next year, so that
will be a number of I think it's about thirty
four beds, thirty two bed I think it is, but
that'll be online soon. But what we're seeing overall is, look,
we're seeing huge numbers coming through the ED. What we
(05:27):
are doing when it comes to funding, you know, we're
dealing with maternity at the same time, but the reality
is that we're significantly underfunded when it comes to delivering
health services here in the Northern Territory.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Well, that's certainly something that the AMA had said to
us as well. We are going to be catching up
with Luke Gosling, the federal member for Solomon, in a
couple of minutes time, so I'll ask him about that
as well. It is something we've spoken to him about before.
I guess, Minister, what I'm trying to get to the
bottom of is, you know, whether you call a cold
yellow or you don't call a code yellow, it does
still sound. You know, even by your own admission that
(06:00):
you know, not a huge amount has changed. We've still
got big capacity issues at Royal Darwin Hospital. I know
it's tough because you know we're waiting for some of
these other facilities to come online. I as you've discussed,
you know, the mental health area. We're all so you know,
we have been promised, of course by the federal government,
those additional age care beds. It is a capacity issue.
(06:25):
But I suppose you know, the concern that I have is,
after speaking to doctor John's Orbis and also speaking sort
of offare to other nurses and doctors, is how we
manage these ongoing capacity issues and if people are double bunking,
you know, in hospital in you know, particularly in the
(06:45):
emergency ward, how we deal with those ongoing issues.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
So I think, you know, looking at all of these issues, Katie,
as I've said a number of times before, on any
given day in the Northern Church, we have up to
sixty to eighty aged care patients in the hospital. Now
this is also, I suppose, contributing to the capacity issues
that we see. So what we do know is that
the federal government has promised sixty million to assist with
(07:11):
an age care facility here. But having sixty to eighty
age care patients in our hospital system on any day
of the week obviously is creating significant pressure on our
frontline staff. But it's also significantly it's costing US forty
million dollars a year just to manage those additional patients
in the hospitals here in the Northern Territory. So we
(07:32):
need that work to be done by the federal government,
particularly when it comes to age care. Yes, we're building
the new ward, we're building the new mental health facility
and over time that will have an impact on the
number on the capacity dealing with issues at the ED.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Where are things at with that new age care facility?
Because when I caught up with Luke Gosling last week.
He said that the you know that originally I thought
that it was potentially being looked at to be built
out there in Palmerston. Have you got any update for
us with this.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
So in regard to the sixty million, there has been
I suppose an expression of interest process being managed through
the Commonwealth Government. At the moment, there has been some
interest in building a facility. At the moment, there's been
those submissions, but at the moment there's been no further
announcements regarding any successful applications around that. That's sixty million there,
(08:25):
it's on the table and we're hoping that we'll see
some further progress with that in the not too distant future.
But our commitment is that we're making land available at
the Palmerston Hospital precinct.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So that is where you're keen to see it built, Oh.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Definitely, And we've made that clear right from the outset.
There significant amount of land out there. We would like
to see a facility there. We're going to contribute the land,
we're going to contribute the headworks to that project. What
we are waiting for is some further announcement and some
further commitment from the Federal government around when that will
be built.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Well, I feel like I should hopefully be able to
get some further answers for territories this morning, because I've
got you in the studio now to ask questions, and
then I've got Luke Goslin coming in next So where
does it sit right now for our listeners. Whose desk
is it on? Well?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Look, look, look it's on the desk of the Commonwealth Government.
But look, what I do want to say is that
nt Health is working very collaboratively with their counterparts in
the Federal government. We see this as an opportunity to
work together and I want to make that clear. We're
in this together. We want to make sure that there
is a facility built here in Darwin. We want to
(09:31):
see proper care for age care patients. The sixty million
I've said from the outset, I'm not sure that that's
going to be enough, But what we want to see
is that facility built and we're going to work with
the Commonwealth Government to ensure that's delivered.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Steve, from your perspective, has there been like from that
EOI process, and as you said, it is being managed.
I think you said by the federal government at this
point in time. Do you know if there's been much interest.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
My understanding is there's been several submissions, so that work
not out as being assessed as we speak, and hopefully
we'll see some further progress on that in the not
too distant future.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
But the sooner we can get this cracking along, the better.
I mean, between sixty and eighty aged care patients.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Per day any data across the Northern territory, so I
don't have the exact numbers, but it fluctuates here in Darwen.
But what I can say is that's also contributing to
the significant pressure we have on the ED here in Darwin.
So if we can overcome the issue around age care
and ensure that age care patients have the proper facilities,
they shouldn't be in hospitals, they should be in proper
(10:33):
facilities where they can be cared for properly.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Now, before I let you go, how have things been
tracking since the ending of maternity services at the Dale
and Private Hospital.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Well, I've got some really good news around maternity service,
as Katie. At the moment, the latest statistics as of yesterday,
there's been thirteen babies born to families with private health
insurance at the Royal Dalen Hospital. So the feedback that
I've received is twenty one family so far have confirmed
what type of package they would like going into after birth,
(11:06):
and twelve families so far have opted for the retreat
package that's the hotel stay and nine have chosen the
return to home Sooner package. So what we're seeing at
the moment is thirteen babies born. But we're also seeing
some good feedback from families that have taken up that
hotel package as well. So the feedback so far has
been pretty positive. And as I've always said, look, we've
(11:28):
got the very best staff on the front line and
I really want to congratulate them on the work that
they're doing.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
We might we'll have to try and track down one
of the moms that's had a baby recently and find
out how it's all gone. Thirteen new little territory and news,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Well, it's incredible, and you know, there's been a lot
of heartache along the way. There's been a lot of
confusion and anger. But what I can say is that
you know, since Hellscope has closed back on the sixth
of June thirteen babies coming through, and you know, the
feedback that I've had from the front line is that
the staff are coping very well with the additional births
(12:05):
and well.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Steve Edgington, the Minister for Health, we better let you go.
I understand you've got plenty of meetings on this morning,
so thank you very much for your time today.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Great to be here, Katie, and good morning to all
the listeners.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Thank you
As you heard on the show last week, we spoke
quite a bit about code yellows. It followed on from
the CEO of int Health saying but in budget estimates
that there hasn't been a need to call any code
yellows at Royal day And Hospital with patient flows and
capacity being managed in other ways. We know that there
were indeed eleven code yellows called at Royal daar And
(00:21):
Hospital last financial year, but there have been none declared
since the CLP came to power now. The Northern Territory
President of the Australian Medical Association, doctor John Zorbits, joined
me on the show last week saying that there are
still significant capacity issues at Royal dah And Hospital, with
patients in some instances waiting more than eight hours for
(00:43):
the care that they need. Now joining me in the
studio is the Health Minister, Steve Edgington. Good morning to
your minister.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Good morning Katie, and good morning till the listeners up
here and.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Darwell welcome back. I know you've been crooks, so I
hope you're feeling all right.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Ah tell you what. Last week spent a couple of
days in bed, but back feeling a lot better this week,
I'll tell you what just that two or three days
feeling really often I think it was really a bad
case of the flu, but feeling a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Better to well, we're pleased to hear it, and please
to have you in the studio now, minister. Tell me
In terms of these code yellows, it sounds like there
is still a need to call for code yellows, but
why are they not being called?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well, the reality is, as we spoke at Estimates last week,
the whole issue around code yellows has been you know,
everybody's been saying, oh, you know, there's been instructions given
to the CEO you shouldn't be calling code yellows. But
I think the real point here is that I need
to make it pretty clear that when we're talking about
(01:46):
capacity and bed pressures, we're talking about the numbers going
through the emergency department. Nothing has changed. And this is
the this is the real issue when it comes to
code yellows, because what we're doing differently, and the CEO
went right through this at Estimates last week, is that
what we're doing is managing patient flow through the ED
(02:07):
into the wards. And I think this is where the
difference is made is that he indicated last week to
estimates that he's not calling code yellows because what they're
doing is that they've changed the way that they're managing
patients in the ED, and that's by having what they
call fifteen minute huddles. It's about bringing people together and
working together on dealing with the current workload coming through ED.
(02:29):
So managing that patient flow is what has changed over
since we came into government, new CEO, new ways of
doing business, and you know, we're really happy with the
way that that's being managed. But I need to make
it very clear. The workload hasn't changed. We're still seeing
extremely busy periods through the ED.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
So I guess if the workload hasn't changed, it's really
just the way that it's being dealt with, is what
you're saying, is how you're doing things different. Like so
you don't feel as though there's any requirement for them
to call code yellows, is it?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Look? Look, everything I've been told and speaking to people
on the front line, speaking to the CEO, that those
huddles that are being held in the ED when that
work pressure builds up, that they're dealing with patient flow,
are we still seeing the same sort of workloads. Yes,
nothing has changed, But what we're seeing is those patient
(03:28):
flows being managed differently at the front line, and this
is where the difference is being made.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I know, when those cold yellows previously used to get called,
it did mean that things like the elective surgeries etc.
You know, had to be postponed or had to be
pushed back, which in some circumstances it seemed as though,
as frustrating as it might be for patients, it was
something that was absolutely required. Are you saying that there's
no longer a need for that.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Well, not saying there's no need for that. What we're
doing is managing the patient flows. So if you look
back on how the preview government and the managed code
yellows calling a code yellow, a number of things came
to a standstill, and those elective surgeries was one of
those that was often reported on that there was a
delay in those happening. What we're doing at the what
(04:14):
we are doing differently is managing the patient flow, ensuring
that patients are managed through ed into the wards a
lot more seamlessly.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
If it is being managed more seamlessly, why are we
still in a situation, as doctor John Zorbis had told
us where we're experiencing that access block, and he said,
that's a nationally recognized term when patients have to wait
more than eight hours for the care that they need.
You know, So what is happening to try and manage that.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, well, there's a number of things. And what we
are doing at the moment is building the new ward
at the rohald N Hospital, So that will help manage
some of the numbers that we're seeing coming through ED
that that work is underway at the moment. That'll be
a ground floor ward where there will be opacity to
increase I think a further two flaws if necessary moving forward,
(05:04):
so that ward should be online I think by around
about late this year or early next year, so that
will be a number of I think it's about thirty
four beds, thirty two bed I think it is, but
that'll be online soon. But what we're seeing overall is, look,
we're seeing huge numbers coming through the ED. What we
(05:27):
are doing when it comes to funding, you know, we're
dealing with maternity at the same time, but the reality
is that we're significantly underfunded when it comes to delivering
health services here in the Northern Territory.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Well, that's certainly something that the AMA had said to
us as well. We are going to be catching up
with Luke Gosling, the federal member for Solomon, in a
couple of minutes time, so I'll ask him about that
as well. It is something we've spoken to him about before.
I guess, Minister, what I'm trying to get to the
bottom of is, you know, whether you call a cold
yellow or you don't call a code yellow, it does
still sound. You know, even by your own admission that
(06:00):
you know, not a huge amount has changed. We've still
got big capacity issues at Royal Darwin Hospital. I know
it's tough because you know we're waiting for some of
these other facilities to come online. I as you've discussed,
you know, the mental health area. We're all so you know,
we have been promised, of course by the federal government,
those additional age care beds. It is a capacity issue.
(06:25):
But I suppose you know, the concern that I have is,
after speaking to doctor John's Orbis and also speaking sort
of offare to other nurses and doctors, is how we
manage these ongoing capacity issues and if people are double bunking,
you know, in hospital in you know, particularly in the
(06:45):
emergency ward, how we deal with those ongoing issues.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
So I think, you know, looking at all of these issues, Katie,
as I've said a number of times before, on any
given day in the Northern Church, we have up to
sixty to eighty aged care patients in the hospital. Now
this is also, I suppose, contributing to the capacity issues
that we see. So what we do know is that
the federal government has promised sixty million to assist with
(07:11):
an age care facility here. But having sixty to eighty
age care patients in our hospital system on any day
of the week obviously is creating significant pressure on our
frontline staff. But it's also significantly it's costing US forty
million dollars a year just to manage those additional patients
in the hospitals here in the Northern Territory. So we
(07:32):
need that work to be done by the federal government,
particularly when it comes to age care. Yes, we're building
the new ward, we're building the new mental health facility
and over time that will have an impact on the
number on the capacity dealing with issues at the ED.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Where are things at with that new age care facility?
Because when I caught up with Luke Gosling last week.
He said that the you know that originally I thought
that it was potentially being looked at to be built
out there in Palmerston. Have you got any update for
us with this.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
So in regard to the sixty million, there has been
I suppose an expression of interest process being managed through
the Commonwealth Government. At the moment, there has been some
interest in building a facility. At the moment, there's been
those submissions, but at the moment there's been no further
announcements regarding any successful applications around that. That's sixty million there,
(08:25):
it's on the table and we're hoping that we'll see
some further progress with that in the not too distant future.
But our commitment is that we're making land available at
the Palmerston Hospital precinct.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So that is where you're keen to see it built, Oh.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Definitely, And we've made that clear right from the outset.
There significant amount of land out there. We would like
to see a facility there. We're going to contribute the land,
we're going to contribute the headworks to that project. What
we are waiting for is some further announcement and some
further commitment from the Federal government around when that will
be built.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Well, I feel like I should hopefully be able to
get some further answers for territories this morning, because I've
got you in the studio now to ask questions, and
then I've got Luke Goslin coming in next So where
does it sit right now for our listeners. Whose desk
is it on? Well?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Look, look, look it's on the desk of the Commonwealth Government.
But look, what I do want to say is that
nt Health is working very collaboratively with their counterparts in
the Federal government. We see this as an opportunity to
work together and I want to make that clear. We're
in this together. We want to make sure that there
is a facility built here in Darwin. We want to
(09:31):
see proper care for age care patients. The sixty million
I've said from the outset, I'm not sure that that's
going to be enough, But what we want to see
is that facility built and we're going to work with
the Commonwealth Government to ensure that's delivered.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Steve, from your perspective, has there been like from that
EOI process, and as you said, it is being managed.
I think you said by the federal government at this
point in time. Do you know if there's been much interest.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
My understanding is there's been several submissions, so that work
not out as being assessed as we speak, and hopefully
we'll see some further progress on that in the not
too distant future.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
But the sooner we can get this cracking along, the better.
I mean, between sixty and eighty aged care patients.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Per day any data across the Northern territory, so I
don't have the exact numbers, but it fluctuates here in Darwen.
But what I can say is that's also contributing to
the significant pressure we have on the ED here in Darwin.
So if we can overcome the issue around age care
and ensure that age care patients have the proper facilities,
they shouldn't be in hospitals, they should be in proper
(10:33):
facilities where they can be cared for properly.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Now, before I let you go, how have things been
tracking since the ending of maternity services at the Dale
and Private Hospital.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Well, I've got some really good news around maternity service,
as Katie. At the moment, the latest statistics as of yesterday,
there's been thirteen babies born to families with private health
insurance at the Royal Dalen Hospital. So the feedback that
I've received is twenty one family so far have confirmed
what type of package they would like going into after birth,
(11:06):
and twelve families so far have opted for the retreat
package that's the hotel stay and nine have chosen the
return to home Sooner package. So what we're seeing at
the moment is thirteen babies born. But we're also seeing
some good feedback from families that have taken up that
hotel package as well. So the feedback so far has
been pretty positive. And as I've always said, look, we've
(11:28):
got the very best staff on the front line and
I really want to congratulate them on the work that
they're doing.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
We might we'll have to try and track down one
of the moms that's had a baby recently and find
out how it's all gone. Thirteen new little territory and news,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Well, it's incredible, and you know, there's been a lot
of heartache along the way. There's been a lot of
confusion and anger. But what I can say is that
you know, since Hellscope has closed back on the sixth
of June thirteen babies coming through, and you know, the
feedback that I've had from the front line is that
the staff are coping very well with the additional births
(12:05):
and well.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Steve Edgington, the Minister for Health, we better let you go.
I understand you've got plenty of meetings on this morning,
so thank you very much for your time today.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Great to be here, Katie, and good morning to all
the listeners.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Thank you
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