Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But we know that concerns have been raised about the
(00:02):
lack of access to a suitable hydro therapy pool in Darwin,
with the pool at the Palmerston Hospital now reportedly only
available to impatience and outpatients. Now. Robin Burridge, who has
a disability that impacts her mobility, has been having hydro
therapy for more than seventy years and is among those
(00:22):
that are speaking out, and she joins me on the line.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good morning, Robin, Good morning Katie. Always good to talk to.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You, Always lovely to speak to you, Robin. What are
the what is going on here? Why are you guys
not able to access the pool?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well, I know the media you have been asking questions
of the fifth floor and they can't get any answers either.
They're told, oh, yes, well you know the pool is
used by various groups five days a week. When they
say yes, but how many hours in those five days?
There's no answer to that question at all, and in
(00:58):
fact it's not necessarily used five days a week either.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm not sure over the years you've been able to
access the Palmerston Hospital hydropool, as have others. When did
that change?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
At least six months ago, I've been I was in
hospital almost for nine months and I spent sort of
the last six months out at Palmerston and I was
hearing noises around about April and people are ask him
if at all I've never had such a response to
(01:37):
any issue ever before, Katie. My phone yesterday and my
computer just rang out for the whole day to about
seven o'clock last night. And even people from in the state,
people that I work with in the Health department, senior
people have said they're going to be writing and this
is a terrible situation and the minister needs to correct
(01:59):
it and he needs to correc it now.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So I mean I I've just got a message come
through from Darren and he said, Katie, when you are
talking to Robin about the Palmeston Hospital. We used to
use the pool for our grandson every week until it stopped.
He's got cerebral palsy and needs it for therapy and
now can only go to the pool at Mold and
I believe it is where there's a lot of a
lot of kids, but a lot of kids with disabilities
(02:24):
actually used it as well.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
There's a wonderful pool out at Palmerston, the Swell Pool
there's three pools out there actually, and one is heated
and it's ramped and they've got access change rooms and
it's a wonderful facility. But the thing is it's outdoors.
The pool is not heated to the hydro pool temperature
and it needs rails on the inside of it. It's
(02:48):
a public pool. People who need therapy or who are sick,
they don't want to be doing exercises out in the public.
But I congratulate Palmerston for the wonderful pool that they have,
and also the Dalan City Council have three nice pools
as well, but they're not hydro therapy PIOLs. In a
hydro therapy pool, Katie, I can walk not on water,
(03:10):
but in water, and I don't need sort of any
aide or assistance. My pain is so much less and
my body all takes all the stiffness away. It's only
in special sort of facilities and temperatures am I able
to do this. And that affects people from all ages.
(03:30):
You've just heard about a little child that needs the water.
Age people also get that relief. I know with someone
at the moment who used to use the pool, her
back pain was so bad that the pool used to
provide the relief she needed. Now she's on so much
medication because she can't go to the pool, but she
(03:50):
can't do anything else during your day. She just has
to stay at home and lie around in bed because
she's aby.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
That's terrible, Robin. You know, to those who maybe haven't
used the hydro therapy people and don't really understand why
it is so beneficial and why those of you who
aren't able to access it anymore is so upset, you know,
give us a bit of context.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, as I said, it provides pain relief, that provides
freedom of movement, and just generally you can take you know,
have more of a normal life because of it. Now,
you know, one of the reasons I've heard and the
sorts of reasons buzzing around, Oh, well, you know, we
just don't have the resources. Our staff are too busy. Well,
(04:40):
let's outsource the pool. Let's outsource it. There are some
wonderful physiotherapists out there in private practice who together who
collectively could organize to run the pool. And in fact,
it was available to the community before this happened, and
the department even put a parking area out the back
(05:00):
of the Pumpston Hospital so that people using the pool
didn't have to come in through the hospital. So I'm
not sure what's happened. I understand that somebody just said, oh, look,
we don't have the resources for this. And I know
for a while the position that actually managed the pool
was vacant, but I understand it's not vacant now, although
(05:22):
currently they put that person onto other work.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
But so where are you at now? You know, what
is your message for the health minister? Because if there
is one thing I know about you, you will stand
up for your rights and the rights of others.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Katie, I've asked numerous times to meet with Steve Edgington.
I have never ever met this man. I've never spoken
to him. I've never I don't caused him any trouble.
If I have, Please let me know what I've done wrong.
I asked several times. I No, no, no, I'm too busy.
I can't. I've got to go back to Tennant Creek
or parliaments on or you know, I've got a month
(05:59):
of appointments, and then asked me to write a report
to meet three of your senior staff down at Palmerston
to meet with them to talk about the fool situation.
I did that. I wrote a report. I submitted the
report to him within a couple of days of meeting
with the staff. I then contacted him again and said, look,
(06:19):
now you've got my report, Please can I come and
meet with you. No, no, no, no, you know, I
just don't have time to meet with you. This is
absolutely ridiculous. It obviously doesn't understand the benefits of hydrotherapy.
This is a three million dollar hydro therapy pool, probably
one of the best in Australia. That yes, I agitated
(06:40):
for a lot, and I kept on to Natasha Files
all the time, and she ultimately got the money from
the government. She's the one that got this pearl, not me.
And here it is. It has to be switched on
and functional all day every day, and yet here it
is not being used.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
The thing that gets me is I just think to myself,
why if previously, you know, children with cerebral palsy, people
like yourself, adults, the elderly people that actually need this hydrotherapy,
why if they've previously been able to access it, why
can they not now?
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Well they say it's a staff issue, but I don't
think it is like, for example, I now because I
got sepsis last year and sort of almost lost my life,
but I am now ready to go back into hydrotherapy.
I use private physiotherapists because she's closer to my home,
you know. To travel to Parmesan, which I did when
(07:42):
I met you know, the staff, it cost fifty dollars
one way to go buy a wheelchair taxi to go
to Parms. So I choose to have a private physiotherapist
that is closer to my home and actually better meets
my needs. And yet and she's experienced in hydrotherapy, she's
got so many qualifications, as have so many other therapists,
(08:06):
and yet they won't let the private physiotherapist use it.
You have to see and there's no vacancies for you
to see, but you have to see their physios and
I choose not to do that. And I can't even
do that, Robin.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Look, it just seems it seems odd to me, you know,
I just think to myself, this is also about liveability
in a capital city, and people want access to different
health services and different health facilities. Otherwise, as you know,
we're going to wind up in a situation where we
continue to have a population drain.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Well, Okatie, you know Mark, our friend Mark, he chooses
not to go into hospital now. In fact, he gets
sell your Light US a lot and has to go
in and he says no, he'd rather have his foot
cut off because the facilities are there not to manage
him in hospital. He has to go home every day
(09:01):
when he is in the hospital to have a shower,
again at his own expense. So it's just not the
hydrotherapy pal at the moment that's the major issue, but
health issues. Health services are not there and they're not
suitable for people with disabilities. Katie, if you can get
the minister on your program and talk to him, that
(09:22):
would be not only wonderful, but it might be pretty
amazing at this stage.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah, well, look well done.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Anything to him. No, I don't believe I've never ever spoke.
I've spoken to his advisors, and of course you know
I worked on the fifth floor. I know what an
advisor does. But whenever I've requested to speak to him,
I've been told no, he's not available Rock and yet
I've written a report that was at his request. He
asked me to do that.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I went and did that, and look, you know, to me,
even if you had said something that might have annoyed
him at one point in time, I just think to myself,
we're talking about health here, and we are talking about
a facility that was accessible to everybody previously. Yes, there
may have been some prerequisites in place, but you know,
(10:09):
let's go back to what we were doing before. It's
it's not a big ask. I wouldn't think.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
It is a beautiful pool and the government had to
be congratulated on having it. We need to use it.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Yeah, Robin Burrows, You're right.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
I will not stop. I will just go into parlorment
house one day and just go up and sit outside
his office on the floor. I know you will.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
I will, I know you will.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
But hopefully you might be able to get him on
your I will. I'll try my beg. Everybody's been the
most incredible response. As I said, my phone yesterday and
my computer didn't stop till about seven o'clock last night.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Well, Robin Burrage, we will talk to you again soon
and if we are able to get him on the show,
I will let you know. But thank you as always
for your time, and I'm pleased to hear that your
health is on the meant.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, thank you, thank you, thank you, Rob. I know
I can't, I know I can't say hello to your
mum on on radio, so I won't do it. Hello.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
I'm sure she'll be listening in Man and greater and
please to hear that, Robin.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Wonderful lady.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Good on you, Robin, thank you, thanks so much,
But we know that concerns have been raised about the
(00:02):
lack of access to a suitable hydro therapy pool in Darwin,
with the pool at the Palmerston Hospital now reportedly only
available to impatience and outpatients. Now. Robin Burridge, who has
a disability that impacts her mobility, has been having hydro
therapy for more than seventy years and is among those
(00:22):
that are speaking out, and she joins me on the line.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good morning, Robin, Good morning Katie. Always good to talk to.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You, Always lovely to speak to you, Robin. What are
the what is going on here? Why are you guys
not able to access the pool?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well, I know the media you have been asking questions
of the fifth floor and they can't get any answers either.
They're told, oh, yes, well you know the pool is
used by various groups five days a week. When they
say yes, but how many hours in those five days?
There's no answer to that question at all, and in
(00:58):
fact it's not necessarily used five days a week either.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm not sure over the years you've been able to
access the Palmerston Hospital hydropool, as have others. When did
that change?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
At least six months ago, I've been I was in
hospital almost for nine months and I spent sort of
the last six months out at Palmerston and I was
hearing noises around about April and people are ask him
if at all I've never had such a response to
(01:37):
any issue ever before, Katie. My phone yesterday and my
computer just rang out for the whole day to about
seven o'clock last night. And even people from in the state,
people that I work with in the Health department, senior
people have said they're going to be writing and this
is a terrible situation and the minister needs to correct
(01:59):
it and he needs to correc it now.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So I mean I I've just got a message come
through from Darren and he said, Katie, when you are
talking to Robin about the Palmeston Hospital. We used to
use the pool for our grandson every week until it stopped.
He's got cerebral palsy and needs it for therapy and
now can only go to the pool at Mold and
I believe it is where there's a lot of a
lot of kids, but a lot of kids with disabilities
(02:24):
actually used it as well.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
There's a wonderful pool out at Palmerston, the Swell Pool
there's three pools out there actually, and one is heated
and it's ramped and they've got access change rooms and
it's a wonderful facility. But the thing is it's outdoors.
The pool is not heated to the hydro pool temperature
and it needs rails on the inside of it. It's
(02:48):
a public pool. People who need therapy or who are sick,
they don't want to be doing exercises out in the public.
But I congratulate Palmerston for the wonderful pool that they have,
and also the Dalan City Council have three nice pools
as well, but they're not hydro therapy PIOLs. In a
hydro therapy pool, Katie, I can walk not on water,
(03:10):
but in water, and I don't need sort of any
aide or assistance. My pain is so much less and
my body all takes all the stiffness away. It's only
in special sort of facilities and temperatures am I able
to do this. And that affects people from all ages.
(03:30):
You've just heard about a little child that needs the water.
Age people also get that relief. I know with someone
at the moment who used to use the pool, her
back pain was so bad that the pool used to
provide the relief she needed. Now she's on so much
medication because she can't go to the pool, but she
(03:50):
can't do anything else during your day. She just has
to stay at home and lie around in bed because
she's aby.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
That's terrible, Robin. You know, to those who maybe haven't
used the hydro therapy people and don't really understand why
it is so beneficial and why those of you who
aren't able to access it anymore is so upset, you know,
give us a bit of context.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, as I said, it provides pain relief, that provides
freedom of movement, and just generally you can take you know,
have more of a normal life because of it. Now,
you know, one of the reasons I've heard and the
sorts of reasons buzzing around, Oh, well, you know, we
just don't have the resources. Our staff are too busy. Well,
(04:40):
let's outsource the pool. Let's outsource it. There are some
wonderful physiotherapists out there in private practice who together who
collectively could organize to run the pool. And in fact,
it was available to the community before this happened, and
the department even put a parking area out the back
(05:00):
of the Pumpston Hospital so that people using the pool
didn't have to come in through the hospital. So I'm
not sure what's happened. I understand that somebody just said, oh, look,
we don't have the resources for this. And I know
for a while the position that actually managed the pool
was vacant, but I understand it's not vacant now, although
(05:22):
currently they put that person onto other work.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
But so where are you at now? You know, what
is your message for the health minister? Because if there
is one thing I know about you, you will stand
up for your rights and the rights of others.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Katie, I've asked numerous times to meet with Steve Edgington.
I have never ever met this man. I've never spoken
to him. I've never I don't caused him any trouble.
If I have, Please let me know what I've done wrong.
I asked several times. I No, no, no, I'm too busy.
I can't. I've got to go back to Tennant Creek
or parliaments on or you know, I've got a month
(05:59):
of appointments, and then asked me to write a report
to meet three of your senior staff down at Palmerston
to meet with them to talk about the fool situation.
I did that. I wrote a report. I submitted the
report to him within a couple of days of meeting
with the staff. I then contacted him again and said, look,
(06:19):
now you've got my report, Please can I come and
meet with you. No, no, no, no, you know, I
just don't have time to meet with you. This is
absolutely ridiculous. It obviously doesn't understand the benefits of hydrotherapy.
This is a three million dollar hydro therapy pool, probably
one of the best in Australia. That yes, I agitated
(06:40):
for a lot, and I kept on to Natasha Files
all the time, and she ultimately got the money from
the government. She's the one that got this pearl, not me.
And here it is. It has to be switched on
and functional all day every day, and yet here it
is not being used.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
The thing that gets me is I just think to myself,
why if previously, you know, children with cerebral palsy, people
like yourself, adults, the elderly people that actually need this hydrotherapy,
why if they've previously been able to access it, why
can they not now?
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Well they say it's a staff issue, but I don't
think it is like, for example, I now because I
got sepsis last year and sort of almost lost my life,
but I am now ready to go back into hydrotherapy.
I use private physiotherapists because she's closer to my home,
you know. To travel to Parmesan, which I did when
(07:42):
I met you know, the staff, it cost fifty dollars
one way to go buy a wheelchair taxi to go
to Parms. So I choose to have a private physiotherapist
that is closer to my home and actually better meets
my needs. And yet and she's experienced in hydrotherapy, she's
got so many qualifications, as have so many other therapists,
(08:06):
and yet they won't let the private physiotherapist use it.
You have to see and there's no vacancies for you
to see, but you have to see their physios and
I choose not to do that. And I can't even
do that, Robin.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Look, it just seems it seems odd to me, you know,
I just think to myself, this is also about liveability
in a capital city, and people want access to different
health services and different health facilities. Otherwise, as you know,
we're going to wind up in a situation where we
continue to have a population drain.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Well, Okatie, you know Mark, our friend Mark, he chooses
not to go into hospital now. In fact, he gets
sell your Light US a lot and has to go
in and he says no, he'd rather have his foot
cut off because the facilities are there not to manage
him in hospital. He has to go home every day
(09:01):
when he is in the hospital to have a shower,
again at his own expense. So it's just not the
hydrotherapy pal at the moment that's the major issue, but
health issues. Health services are not there and they're not
suitable for people with disabilities. Katie, if you can get
the minister on your program and talk to him, that
(09:22):
would be not only wonderful, but it might be pretty
amazing at this stage.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah, well, look well done.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Anything to him. No, I don't believe I've never ever spoke.
I've spoken to his advisors, and of course you know
I worked on the fifth floor. I know what an
advisor does. But whenever I've requested to speak to him,
I've been told no, he's not available Rock and yet
I've written a report that was at his request. He
asked me to do that.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I went and did that, and look, you know, to me,
even if you had said something that might have annoyed
him at one point in time, I just think to myself,
we're talking about health here, and we are talking about
a facility that was accessible to everybody previously. Yes, there
may have been some prerequisites in place, but you know,
(10:09):
let's go back to what we were doing before. It's
it's not a big ask. I wouldn't think.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
It is a beautiful pool and the government had to
be congratulated on having it. We need to use it.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Yeah, Robin Burrows, You're right.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
I will not stop. I will just go into parlorment
house one day and just go up and sit outside
his office on the floor. I know you will.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
I will, I know you will.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
But hopefully you might be able to get him on
your I will. I'll try my beg. Everybody's been the
most incredible response. As I said, my phone yesterday and
my computer didn't stop till about seven o'clock last night.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Well, Robin Burrage, we will talk to you again soon
and if we are able to get him on the show,
I will let you know. But thank you as always
for your time, and I'm pleased to hear that your
health is on the meant.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, thank you, thank you, thank you, Rob. I know
I can't, I know I can't say hello to your
mum on on radio, so I won't do it. Hello.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
I'm sure she'll be listening in Man and greater and
please to hear that, Robin.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Wonderful lady.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Good on you, Robin, thank you, thanks so much,
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