Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Northern Territory government have though indeed said that they've
got some certainty for expectant mums, announcing the mcure Darwin
Airport Resort is going to provide a luxury post natal
maternity retreat from June one for women who were to
give birth at the Darwin Private Hospital. Now privately insured
expectant parents are going to be able to stay at
the hotel in the Deluxe King Suite for up to
(00:22):
four nights after giving birth in Royal Darwin Hospital. Forty
five expectant families are well expected to be affected by
the closure of the private maternity services at Darwin Private
Hospital from June six. Now joining me on the show
is Steve Edgington, the Minister for Health. Good morning to
your minister.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Good morning Cody, Good morning to the listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Now, Minister, the announcement of the Macure Airport Resort, it proves,
will it provide some certainty to expectant mums. Can you
talk our listeners through what care is going to be
provided at the hospital to those mums.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, so the care being provided at the hospital too.
Every mother that arrives at the hospital. We provide a
very good maternity service at the Royal Day and Hospital.
Nothing has changed. We've got excellent midwives, obstetricians, nurses and
doctors at the Royal Day and Hospital. So the birthing
(01:19):
at the Darwen Public Hospital, i should say, will be
as is all the time. But for those that have
private healthcare insurance, what we are offering, as we've spoken
about on different occasions, and we're now able to confirm
that we've short up a contract with the mcure Darwin
Airport Resorts so that those mothers that are able to
(01:42):
leave the Royal Day and Hospital can go to that
luxury retreat and spend four nights in there.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Yeah. Sorry, So my question though was what care will
then be provided at the hotel?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Oh sorry sorry yeah, so yeah, at the hotel, what
we do have is the domicillary midwife, so that ongoing
care will be provided by our midwives that will provide
a visiting service to the MKURE Darwin Airport Resort.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
And will that also mean a twenty four hour phone
support for women as well? Like that on that phone line.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, so those midwives whilst they'll be doing some planned
visits to the hotel, there will certainly be availability to
make those phone calls. If the mother has any concerns
at all, there'll be the ability to make those phone
calls to seek the information that's needed or seek the
support that they need.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Okay, because that is something that a few mums have
already been in contact questioning if they are there is
going to be a nurse who is on call twenty
four to seven for that hotel stay.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, So that'll be provided through the domosary midwives. But
what we are doing is trying to shore up a
private midwife service. We haven't been able to secure those
arrangements at the moment, so we provide through the NT
health system Domosserily midwives. That this happens every day of
the week. We have midwives visiting mothers at various locations
(03:10):
up here in the top end.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
But so that'll be provided through a private a private
service which you are still going through the process of
locking in. How when do you expect that that service
is going to be locked in?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Well, that service is locked in, So we'll be providing
the domosiri midwives. But in regard to a press so
they'll be.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So sorry, will the dom sillary midwives be through the
hospital or are you doing that through a private service.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
No that domosarily midwives will be through our further Royal
Day and Hospital. What we are working on in the
background is to try and shure up a contract so
that we have private midwives available. All of these arrangements
have been agreed to by the health insurers, so look,
we're ready to move forward. We want to certainty and
(03:54):
security for not only expectant mothers but those post natal
servicesible as well. So we're very pleased with the way
things have moved, Minister.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
In terms of you know, one of the questions I
continue to get in terms of those women who have
to have a cesarean or a high risk birth for them,
apart from you know, from what are they what's going
to be the options for them? Really they are going
to have to stay in Royal Day and Hospital, aren't they,
(04:23):
because they're not going to be in a situation where
they can then go to a hotel.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
That's exactly right. And you know, this morning I had
the director of Nursing in mid We're Free with me
during our press conference, Emma, and she explained that quite comprehensively, look,
these things that occur at various times in the Royal
DA and Hospital. We've got the very best staff. We've
(04:48):
got excellent midwives, excellent obstetricians. C sections happen at the
Royal da And Hospital all the time. But yes, yes,
the private hospital will not be available. That have a
C section and are required to remain will be in
the Ryal down in Hospital.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Well yeah, I guess what those mums are sort of
questioning is for the amount that they're then paying in
private funding, you know, to then be sort of staying
at the public hospital. That's what they're questioning. What that
money is sort of going towards.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I guess, well, you know, these are questions for the
private health insurers, these are questions for health Scope. You've
got to remember that this is health Scope pulling out
of this service. We're stepping in and doing everything that
we can from a public system. But what we have
done over and above is gone out and spoken with
the insurers to make sure that those two options are available.
(05:41):
What we haven't been able to do is the work
that those insurers and Healthscope should be doing is to
provide those others.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
And unfortunately, I think the likelihood of them doing that
is probably pretty low. I mean, more broadly, nationally, at
the moment, it's being reported that health Scope, well it's
Healthscope's board this week have effectively pleaded for bankers to
take control of the hospitals, allowing its Brookfield backed directors
(06:08):
to walk away. I mean it's a soft administration, I
guess you might say of sorts removing the tougher intervention
or the prospect of banks sort of installing receivers. But
are we at a risk heer of health Scope going
bust entirely and the whole hospital being in jeopardy.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Look, we haven't had that information, but I've certainly heard
of the change of the board that's certainly been raised,
and certainly Anty Health is monitoring the situation as we speak.
So we've had no indication at all from Healthscope that
they intend to close any additional services here in Darwin.
But what we are doing in regard to trying to
(06:47):
improve that stay at the Royal Dalen Hospital is I
think I've previously mentioned We've had ongoing conversations with the
Federal Health Department, and I've also written to Minister Mark
Butler and also rang him again yesterday to just to
follow through. We've put a letter to the federal government
to ask for thirty five million dollars to try and
(07:10):
improve the maternity ward here in Darwin So.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Mentioned that on the show last week. Has there been
any updates in that space?
Speaker 2 (07:18):
No, there hasn't you know. The federal government has been
in caretaker mode. Minister Butler has now been sworn in
as the Minister. I've had a further conversation with him
yesterday and he is looking into that particular matter as
we speak.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Minister. There's quite a few messages coming through saying Katie
NT Health have confirmed that there will not be a
twenty four hours twenty four to seven phone service by
midwives until that private midwife service is signed up. We've
been told it will be to call you GP or
presenting to ED in the meantime and in between those
(07:57):
scheduled visits. What is your response to that.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, Look, my understanding is that that phone service will
be available. But what I can say is that we
will be having some information section sessions, I should say,
from Monday next week and also Thursday, the twenty second
of May. So I would encourage all expectant mothers to
come along. This will be an open session, an opportunity
to visit the airport resort. But also I'll be there,
(08:27):
We'll have all the experts there so that we can
work through all of these issues.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
But excellent.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
My understanding is that that domicillary midwife service will be
available and they should that there will be an opportunity
if something happens to make that phone call.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Okay. In terms of the other private option, including a
luxury like the you know obviously you've got the luxury
post notal maternity retreat or the return home Sooner package,
where's the return Home Sooner package?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Act? Well, the return Home Sooner packages is in place. Again,
we have the domicillary midwives available and they'll be working
with those mothers once they return home.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Okay, what's the situation with private obstetricians? Are they all
staying on?
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I don't have that information in front of me at
the moment, Katie, but those options are there for those obstetricians.
I'm not right across exactly what conversations have been had
with NT health and those obsttricians. They're the operational issues
that are going on in the background. So I don't
have that information in front of me. But my understanding
is that anti health has ongoing conversations with the midwives
(09:40):
and the obstetricians that work at the dhen Private Hospital.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
All right, Minister, in terms of those midwives that are
working at the dah And Private Hospital, they're getting in
contact with me and I know that you are not
health Scope. I know it's a difficult juggle. But they
say that health Scope are refusing to pay midwives redundancies.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I think I saw that in the media, and of
course it's very disappointing to hear that. If that, if
that's what's happening with Healthscope at the moment. Obviously there's laws,
there's fair work, all of those sorts of things, but
that's very disappointing to hear. And I would encourage Healthscope
to work closely with those midwives. It's Hellscope that's decided
(10:24):
to close down the maternity I guess the.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Tough thing is, you know, the tough thing is at
the moment is reaching out to health Scope is probably
like yelling into the wind. You know, if they're if
they're facing all the issues that they're reportedly facing, it's
going to be a tough one. And I and I
sort of wonder whether you know, there is a bit
of a duty of care to those Northern Territory midwives.
(10:46):
And I know it's not into Health's fault. I absolutely
understand that, nor the Minister nor you know, like it's
it's it is something that you guys are having to
now sort of pick up the slack on. But but
you know, we've got these Northern Territory midwives who are
potentially in a situation if they've worked in the NT
for a long period of time, not getting those redundancy payouts.
(11:09):
It just seems really Unaustralia.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Totally agree, totally agree, Katie, this is absolutely UnAustralian. But
what I would say from a government perspective is that yes,
Hellscope has obligations and they should meet all of those
obligations through an NT health perspective. Our ongoing conversations with
the obstetricians and the midwives. If there is something that
(11:34):
our department can do to help, I'm sure that they
will do that.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
All right, Minister. I know your press for time, as
are we, but we had doctor Robert Parker, the head
of the AMA, on the show yesterday talking about the
pressures that Royal dah and Hospital are under take a.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Listen, the constant pressure on you and I've talked about
over a number of years. It hasn't gone away. I
suppose the extra funding your health, extra money in the
primary well hopefully alleviate by stopping preventable admissions or alleviate pressure.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Do you reckon we're still having those code yellows, but
not publicly saying it.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
We were not allowed to call them, as my understand.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Really, so has that been a directive from your understanding?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
From the understanding my understanding, there's been certain pressures not
to call code yellows when we've actually had a situation
which requires a code yellow.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Minister, is that the case has the department or has
has the hospital been advised not to call code yellows?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Certainly not. And I reject anything that Rob Parker has
said in regard to any directions regarding code yellows, and
I'll repeat that, we reject any suggestion that that is happening.
What I do know is, Katie, is that we have
a new CEO managing into your health. And what I
do know is that when emergency is under pressure, they
(12:54):
have what's called a huddle. Every morning. We have the
CEO that attends those we have seen staff that attends
those meeting in the morning, that's the opportunity for all
of those staff to sit down together and work together
and ensure that adequate resources are allocated to the ongoing
pressures in the emergency or so.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Has there been any instance in recent weeks where the
hospital has been at capacity and the emergency department has
had to inact measures to deal with that.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
This happens regularly, Katie, There's always well, I shouldn't say regularly,
but I roughly about two weeks ago, I certainly had
a conversation with the CEO who rang me to inform
me that there was pressures in the emergency area at
the Royal Dalen Hospital. He does that on a regular basis,
gives me updates there's additional pressures, they're working through it,
(13:49):
and in fact, there has been occasions where he's told me, look,
we might have to call a codeyell and I said, well,
look that's the matter for you as the CEO of
the Department of Health. Let me know what's going on.
I've been what I've been reassured is by the CEO
that those meetings and the huddles that they're having when
there are pressures in the emergency area, they've been able
(14:11):
to cope with the workload that's going on.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
So from what you are saying, despite the fact that
there has been you know that we've been at capacity,
and that there's obviously been situations where he's calling you
to let you know that they are absolutely at capacity,
no need for a cold yellow.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I wouldn't go as far as saying absolutely at capacity.
I get informed when there is additional pressure on the
emergency area. I get constant updates to let me know
what's going on. I've been reassured by the CEO that
those huddles in the mornings where there is additional pressure
have made a huge difference to dealing with the issues
there and then on the spot without a need to
(14:51):
call a code yellow.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
So are you saying that the AMA, the head of
the AMA obviously the Australian Medical Association's Northern Territory branch, that.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
He's in correct If he's saying there's been instructions given
to not call a code yellow, Yes, I am saying
he is incorrect.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Well, Minister for Health, Steve Edgington as always appreciate your time.
I know it's a busy morning and you've got to
get to Parliament. Thank you so much for joining us
this morning.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Thank you, Katie, and good morning to all the listeners.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Thank you
The Northern Territory government have though indeed said that they've
got some certainty for expectant mums, announcing the mcure Darwin
Airport Resort is going to provide a luxury post natal
maternity retreat from June one for women who were to
give birth at the Darwin Private Hospital. Now privately insured
expectant parents are going to be able to stay at
the hotel in the Deluxe King Suite for up to
(00:22):
four nights after giving birth in Royal Darwin Hospital. Forty
five expectant families are well expected to be affected by
the closure of the private maternity services at Darwin Private
Hospital from June six. Now joining me on the show
is Steve Edgington, the Minister for Health. Good morning to
your minister.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Good morning Cody, Good morning to the listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Now, Minister, the announcement of the Macure Airport Resort, it proves,
will it provide some certainty to expectant mums. Can you
talk our listeners through what care is going to be
provided at the hospital to those mums.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, so the care being provided at the hospital too.
Every mother that arrives at the hospital. We provide a
very good maternity service at the Royal Day and Hospital.
Nothing has changed. We've got excellent midwives, obstetricians, nurses and
doctors at the Royal Day and Hospital. So the birthing
(01:19):
at the Darwen Public Hospital, i should say, will be
as is all the time. But for those that have
private healthcare insurance, what we are offering, as we've spoken
about on different occasions, and we're now able to confirm
that we've short up a contract with the mcure Darwin
Airport Resorts so that those mothers that are able to
(01:42):
leave the Royal Day and Hospital can go to that
luxury retreat and spend four nights in there.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Yeah. Sorry, So my question though was what care will
then be provided at the hotel?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Oh sorry sorry yeah, so yeah, at the hotel, what
we do have is the domicillary midwife, so that ongoing
care will be provided by our midwives that will provide
a visiting service to the MKURE Darwin Airport Resort.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
And will that also mean a twenty four hour phone
support for women as well? Like that on that phone line.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, so those midwives whilst they'll be doing some planned
visits to the hotel, there will certainly be availability to
make those phone calls. If the mother has any concerns
at all, there'll be the ability to make those phone
calls to seek the information that's needed or seek the
support that they need.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Okay, because that is something that a few mums have
already been in contact questioning if they are there is
going to be a nurse who is on call twenty
four to seven for that hotel stay.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, So that'll be provided through the domosary midwives. But
what we are doing is trying to shore up a
private midwife service. We haven't been able to secure those
arrangements at the moment, so we provide through the NT
health system Domosserily midwives. That this happens every day of
the week. We have midwives visiting mothers at various locations
(03:10):
up here in the top end.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
But so that'll be provided through a private a private
service which you are still going through the process of
locking in. How when do you expect that that service
is going to be locked in?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Well, that service is locked in, So we'll be providing
the domosiri midwives. But in regard to a press so
they'll be.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So sorry, will the dom sillary midwives be through the
hospital or are you doing that through a private service.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
No that domosarily midwives will be through our further Royal
Day and Hospital. What we are working on in the
background is to try and shure up a contract so
that we have private midwives available. All of these arrangements
have been agreed to by the health insurers, so look,
we're ready to move forward. We want to certainty and
(03:54):
security for not only expectant mothers but those post natal
servicesible as well. So we're very pleased with the way
things have moved, Minister.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
In terms of you know, one of the questions I
continue to get in terms of those women who have
to have a cesarean or a high risk birth for them,
apart from you know, from what are they what's going
to be the options for them? Really they are going
to have to stay in Royal Day and Hospital, aren't they,
(04:23):
because they're not going to be in a situation where
they can then go to a hotel.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
That's exactly right. And you know, this morning I had
the director of Nursing in mid We're Free with me
during our press conference, Emma, and she explained that quite comprehensively, look,
these things that occur at various times in the Royal
DA and Hospital. We've got the very best staff. We've
(04:48):
got excellent midwives, excellent obstetricians. C sections happen at the
Royal da And Hospital all the time. But yes, yes,
the private hospital will not be available. That have a
C section and are required to remain will be in
the Ryal down in Hospital.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Well yeah, I guess what those mums are sort of
questioning is for the amount that they're then paying in
private funding, you know, to then be sort of staying
at the public hospital. That's what they're questioning. What that
money is sort of going towards.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I guess, well, you know, these are questions for the
private health insurers, these are questions for health Scope. You've
got to remember that this is health Scope pulling out
of this service. We're stepping in and doing everything that
we can from a public system. But what we have
done over and above is gone out and spoken with
the insurers to make sure that those two options are available.
(05:41):
What we haven't been able to do is the work
that those insurers and Healthscope should be doing is to
provide those others.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
And unfortunately, I think the likelihood of them doing that
is probably pretty low. I mean, more broadly, nationally, at
the moment, it's being reported that health Scope, well it's
Healthscope's board this week have effectively pleaded for bankers to
take control of the hospitals, allowing its Brookfield backed directors
(06:08):
to walk away. I mean it's a soft administration, I
guess you might say of sorts removing the tougher intervention
or the prospect of banks sort of installing receivers. But
are we at a risk heer of health Scope going
bust entirely and the whole hospital being in jeopardy.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Look, we haven't had that information, but I've certainly heard
of the change of the board that's certainly been raised,
and certainly Anty Health is monitoring the situation as we speak.
So we've had no indication at all from Healthscope that
they intend to close any additional services here in Darwin.
But what we are doing in regard to trying to
(06:47):
improve that stay at the Royal Dalen Hospital is I
think I've previously mentioned We've had ongoing conversations with the
Federal Health Department, and I've also written to Minister Mark
Butler and also rang him again yesterday to just to
follow through. We've put a letter to the federal government
to ask for thirty five million dollars to try and
(07:10):
improve the maternity ward here in Darwin So.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Mentioned that on the show last week. Has there been
any updates in that space?
Speaker 2 (07:18):
No, there hasn't you know. The federal government has been
in caretaker mode. Minister Butler has now been sworn in
as the Minister. I've had a further conversation with him
yesterday and he is looking into that particular matter as
we speak.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Minister. There's quite a few messages coming through saying Katie
NT Health have confirmed that there will not be a
twenty four hours twenty four to seven phone service by
midwives until that private midwife service is signed up. We've
been told it will be to call you GP or
presenting to ED in the meantime and in between those
(07:57):
scheduled visits. What is your response to that.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, Look, my understanding is that that phone service will
be available. But what I can say is that we
will be having some information section sessions, I should say,
from Monday next week and also Thursday, the twenty second
of May. So I would encourage all expectant mothers to
come along. This will be an open session, an opportunity
to visit the airport resort. But also I'll be there,
(08:27):
We'll have all the experts there so that we can
work through all of these issues.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
But excellent.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
My understanding is that that domicillary midwife service will be
available and they should that there will be an opportunity
if something happens to make that phone call.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Okay. In terms of the other private option, including a
luxury like the you know obviously you've got the luxury
post notal maternity retreat or the return home Sooner package,
where's the return Home Sooner package?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Act? Well, the return Home Sooner packages is in place. Again,
we have the domicillary midwives available and they'll be working
with those mothers once they return home.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Okay, what's the situation with private obstetricians? Are they all
staying on?
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I don't have that information in front of me at
the moment, Katie, but those options are there for those obstetricians.
I'm not right across exactly what conversations have been had
with NT health and those obsttricians. They're the operational issues
that are going on in the background. So I don't
have that information in front of me. But my understanding
is that anti health has ongoing conversations with the midwives
(09:40):
and the obstetricians that work at the dhen Private Hospital.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
All right, Minister, in terms of those midwives that are
working at the dah And Private Hospital, they're getting in
contact with me and I know that you are not
health Scope. I know it's a difficult juggle. But they
say that health Scope are refusing to pay midwives redundancies.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I think I saw that in the media, and of
course it's very disappointing to hear that. If that, if
that's what's happening with Healthscope at the moment. Obviously there's laws,
there's fair work, all of those sorts of things, but
that's very disappointing to hear. And I would encourage Healthscope
to work closely with those midwives. It's Hellscope that's decided
(10:24):
to close down the maternity I guess the.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Tough thing is, you know, the tough thing is at
the moment is reaching out to health Scope is probably
like yelling into the wind. You know, if they're if
they're facing all the issues that they're reportedly facing, it's
going to be a tough one. And I and I
sort of wonder whether you know, there is a bit
of a duty of care to those Northern Territory midwives.
(10:46):
And I know it's not into Health's fault. I absolutely
understand that, nor the Minister nor you know, like it's
it's it is something that you guys are having to
now sort of pick up the slack on. But but
you know, we've got these Northern Territory midwives who are
potentially in a situation if they've worked in the NT
for a long period of time, not getting those redundancy payouts.
(11:09):
It just seems really Unaustralia.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Totally agree, totally agree, Katie, this is absolutely UnAustralian. But
what I would say from a government perspective is that yes,
Hellscope has obligations and they should meet all of those
obligations through an NT health perspective. Our ongoing conversations with
the obstetricians and the midwives. If there is something that
(11:34):
our department can do to help, I'm sure that they
will do that.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
All right, Minister. I know your press for time, as
are we, but we had doctor Robert Parker, the head
of the AMA, on the show yesterday talking about the
pressures that Royal dah and Hospital are under take a.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Listen, the constant pressure on you and I've talked about
over a number of years. It hasn't gone away. I
suppose the extra funding your health, extra money in the
primary well hopefully alleviate by stopping preventable admissions or alleviate pressure.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Do you reckon we're still having those code yellows, but
not publicly saying it.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
We were not allowed to call them, as my understand.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Really, so has that been a directive from your understanding?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
From the understanding my understanding, there's been certain pressures not
to call code yellows when we've actually had a situation
which requires a code yellow.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Minister, is that the case has the department or has
has the hospital been advised not to call code yellows?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Certainly not. And I reject anything that Rob Parker has
said in regard to any directions regarding code yellows, and
I'll repeat that, we reject any suggestion that that is happening.
What I do know is, Katie, is that we have
a new CEO managing into your health. And what I
do know is that when emergency is under pressure, they
(12:54):
have what's called a huddle. Every morning. We have the
CEO that attends those we have seen staff that attends
those meeting in the morning, that's the opportunity for all
of those staff to sit down together and work together
and ensure that adequate resources are allocated to the ongoing
pressures in the emergency or so.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Has there been any instance in recent weeks where the
hospital has been at capacity and the emergency department has
had to inact measures to deal with that.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
This happens regularly, Katie, There's always well, I shouldn't say regularly,
but I roughly about two weeks ago, I certainly had
a conversation with the CEO who rang me to inform
me that there was pressures in the emergency area at
the Royal Dalen Hospital. He does that on a regular basis,
gives me updates there's additional pressures, they're working through it,
(13:49):
and in fact, there has been occasions where he's told me, look,
we might have to call a codeyell and I said, well,
look that's the matter for you as the CEO of
the Department of Health. Let me know what's going on.
I've been what I've been reassured is by the CEO
that those meetings and the huddles that they're having when
there are pressures in the emergency area, they've been able
(14:11):
to cope with the workload that's going on.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
So from what you are saying, despite the fact that
there has been you know that we've been at capacity,
and that there's obviously been situations where he's calling you
to let you know that they are absolutely at capacity,
no need for a cold yellow.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I wouldn't go as far as saying absolutely at capacity.
I get informed when there is additional pressure on the
emergency area. I get constant updates to let me know
what's going on. I've been reassured by the CEO that
those huddles in the mornings where there is additional pressure
have made a huge difference to dealing with the issues
there and then on the spot without a need to
(14:51):
call a code yellow.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
So are you saying that the AMA, the head of
the AMA obviously the Australian Medical Association's Northern Territory branch, that.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
He's in correct If he's saying there's been instructions given
to not call a code yellow, Yes, I am saying
he is incorrect.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Well, Minister for Health, Steve Edgington as always appreciate your time.
I know it's a busy morning and you've got to
get to Parliament. Thank you so much for joining us
this morning.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Thank you, Katie, and good morning to all the listeners.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Thank you
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