Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
There has certainly been a lot of discussion about the
private hospital, about private maternity services. And joining me live
on the line to talk a little bit more about
this is Tessa Sizosky from Our Birth, Our Choice. Good
morning to you, Tessa.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, Katie. Thank you for speaking with me this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
No worries at all now, Tessa, you've been fighting for
the return of private maternity services for a long time now.
You and I have spoken about this on numerous occasions.
What was your reaction when you heard that the Northern
Territory government said that they're you know that restoring those
services had been listed as well a priority they're holding
(00:37):
these crisis talks.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Look, I think as a group, Katie, we're feeling a
little bit vindicated this morning. After more than twelve months
of you know, the government sort of publicly downplaying what
we've been saying is a maternity crisis in the Northern Territory,
it sounds like it is now finally being acknowledged there
is a crisis and it really needs to be at
the forefront of those discussions with whether it's purpose CO
(01:03):
or another potential receiver. So it's it's a bit disappointing
that it's coming so late in the piece, but at
least we seem like we've got some positive movement forward.
The Health Minister had told us at our last meeting
that certainly they were going to have a seat at
the table with the discussions of the new Now we
know it's called purpose Co, new rebranded health Scope, but
(01:25):
it does. It is certainly interesting to hear the information
this morning about Calvary and to also hear the Chief
Minister saying they were reaching out to other potential proponents.
Calvary did make a bid for a number of the
health Scope hospitals late last year that was knocked back
by the receivers. They did successfully acquire two of the
private hospitals, including Hobart which obviously closed their maternity services
(01:50):
or announced the closure at the same time as Darwin.
And so you know, Calvary is certainly in the mix.
I think if the government are looking to engage with
other private providers outside of Purpose Code.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Well, and when I spoke because I just caught up
with the Health Minister Steve Edgington about half an hour
ago as well, and he said that, yeah, they've reached
out to a number of other operators. You know, just
in case, I guess, so that they can make sure
that they're going to get the best provider that they can,
I suppose, but also you know, wanting to make sure
that the maternity services are part of any agreement that
(02:26):
is made. That is you know, that's I guess that's
a good thing that there's that priority. But it is
all about ensuring that Northern Territory women have choices. But
we also, like we know whether the government sort of
wants to admit it or whether people want to admit
it or not. That you know, the closure of that
maternity ward has had an impact on our public hospital
maternity services.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
It has, Katie, and it's a significant impact. And I
mean you and I spoke about just recently the issue
about getting pregnancy scans into Owen. At the moment we
heard from Gosling about the ten million dollars coming, that's
you know, the federal government. It is coming. It's just
a matter of timing. And I listened to the interview
(03:08):
that you had with the Chief Minister earlier this week
where she acknowledged that the money is there within the
NT budget that they could start the work. She stopped
short of committing to doing that, and we'd certainly be
still pushing for that because we know it has had
a significant knock on effect, and no matter whether these
crisis talks with purpose CO or any other potential provider
(03:31):
are successful, that's going to all take time to reinstate
private maternity services, and the public system deserves the improvements
that we've been advocating so hard for and that the
public Ardie H staff have spent so much time putting
together the proposals. So I think we'd still be saying,
notwithstanding what happens with these discussions about the reinstatement of
(03:53):
private maternity services, those other improvements should go ahead and
they should start immediately, Katie. I mean, there doesn't seem
to be any reason why they can't. The anti government
have got the money there, they can start the works,
and when the money finally flows in check form from
the federal government then obviously they can be reimbursed and
(04:15):
all the rest. But there doesn't seem to be any
reason that that delay to starting those works should continue.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Tessra, I understand that you also wrote to the federal
Health Minister with some of the concerns that well that
our birth, our choice, advocates have had. What did you
hear back from it?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
A very underwhelming response, Katie, and given the time that
it took to get that response, it's pretty disappointing. There
was no commitment to the additional funding. There was I
guess some limited acknowledgment that you know, the private closure,
the closure of private maternity services has had a flow
on effect, but you know, really just a very high
(04:55):
level indication about what the federal government is doing about
private matern his services nationally. No acknowledgment of the specific
issues that we face in the Northern Territory being you know,
having only a single private provider in the Northern Territory
having the highest pery natal mortality rate in the country.
Even removing our First Nations cohort of mums, our peri
(05:19):
natal mortality rate is still higher than the national average.
That we only have one tertiary hospital in the local
Darwin area so you don't even have any other choice there,
and the fact that we don't even have any private obstetricians.
So it really was a very disheartening response. To be honest.
We've asked for a meeting, not necessarily with the Federal
(05:40):
Health Minister. I mean, that'd be great, but I'm sure
he's a very very busy man, but even someone within
the Federal Department of Health, we've had no response to that.
I have followed up with Luke Gosling and so hopefully
we will have something from him. And also I know
that the leader of the opposition, Selena Uber, has also
written to the federal Health Minister encouraging them to commit
(06:02):
to that ten million dollars. So we're still pushing. But
it was, as I said, a very sort of disappointing
response after such a long time to wait for that.
And you know, we've spoken to Luke Gosling many times
as you have about this funding, and I just don't
understand why that commitment can't can't flow.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Well, let us know, you know, if you get any
further progression following on from also speaking to Luke Gosling
and to Selena Yubo will be very keen to hear. Tessa,
I really appreciate all of your time over recent weeks.
Thank you very much for having a chat with us,
and hopefully, thank you we get some movement, you know,
with this meeting that's set to happen on Monday with
purpose Ky.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
We certainly hope, so we look forward to hearing from
the Health Minister about the outcome of those discussions.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Tessa, thank you so much. We'll talk to you again
soon
There has certainly been a lot of discussion about the
private hospital, about private maternity services. And joining me live
on the line to talk a little bit more about
this is Tessa Sizosky from Our Birth, Our Choice. Good
morning to you, Tessa.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, Katie. Thank you for speaking with me this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
No worries at all now, Tessa, you've been fighting for
the return of private maternity services for a long time now.
You and I have spoken about this on numerous occasions.
What was your reaction when you heard that the Northern
Territory government said that they're you know that restoring those
services had been listed as well a priority they're holding
(00:37):
these crisis talks.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Look, I think as a group, Katie, we're feeling a
little bit vindicated this morning. After more than twelve months
of you know, the government sort of publicly downplaying what
we've been saying is a maternity crisis in the Northern Territory,
it sounds like it is now finally being acknowledged there
is a crisis and it really needs to be at
the forefront of those discussions with whether it's purpose CO
(01:03):
or another potential receiver. So it's it's a bit disappointing
that it's coming so late in the piece, but at
least we seem like we've got some positive movement forward.
The Health Minister had told us at our last meeting
that certainly they were going to have a seat at
the table with the discussions of the new Now we
know it's called purpose Co, new rebranded health Scope, but
(01:25):
it does. It is certainly interesting to hear the information
this morning about Calvary and to also hear the Chief
Minister saying they were reaching out to other potential proponents.
Calvary did make a bid for a number of the
health Scope hospitals late last year that was knocked back
by the receivers. They did successfully acquire two of the
private hospitals, including Hobart which obviously closed their maternity services
(01:50):
or announced the closure at the same time as Darwin.
And so you know, Calvary is certainly in the mix.
I think if the government are looking to engage with
other private providers outside of Purpose Code.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Well, and when I spoke because I just caught up
with the Health Minister Steve Edgington about half an hour
ago as well, and he said that, yeah, they've reached
out to a number of other operators. You know, just
in case, I guess, so that they can make sure
that they're going to get the best provider that they can,
I suppose, but also you know, wanting to make sure
that the maternity services are part of any agreement that
(02:26):
is made. That is you know, that's I guess that's
a good thing that there's that priority. But it is
all about ensuring that Northern Territory women have choices. But
we also, like we know whether the government sort of
wants to admit it or whether people want to admit
it or not. That you know, the closure of that
maternity ward has had an impact on our public hospital
maternity services.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
It has, Katie, and it's a significant impact. And I
mean you and I spoke about just recently the issue
about getting pregnancy scans into Owen. At the moment we
heard from Gosling about the ten million dollars coming, that's
you know, the federal government. It is coming. It's just
a matter of timing. And I listened to the interview
(03:08):
that you had with the Chief Minister earlier this week
where she acknowledged that the money is there within the
NT budget that they could start the work. She stopped
short of committing to doing that, and we'd certainly be
still pushing for that because we know it has had
a significant knock on effect, and no matter whether these
crisis talks with purpose CO or any other potential provider
(03:31):
are successful, that's going to all take time to reinstate
private maternity services, and the public system deserves the improvements
that we've been advocating so hard for and that the
public Ardie H staff have spent so much time putting
together the proposals. So I think we'd still be saying,
notwithstanding what happens with these discussions about the reinstatement of
(03:53):
private maternity services, those other improvements should go ahead and
they should start immediately, Katie. I mean, there doesn't seem
to be any reason why they can't. The anti government
have got the money there, they can start the works,
and when the money finally flows in check form from
the federal government then obviously they can be reimbursed and
(04:15):
all the rest. But there doesn't seem to be any
reason that that delay to starting those works should continue.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Tessra, I understand that you also wrote to the federal
Health Minister with some of the concerns that well that
our birth, our choice, advocates have had. What did you
hear back from it?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
A very underwhelming response, Katie, and given the time that
it took to get that response, it's pretty disappointing. There
was no commitment to the additional funding. There was I
guess some limited acknowledgment that you know, the private closure,
the closure of private maternity services has had a flow
on effect, but you know, really just a very high
(04:55):
level indication about what the federal government is doing about
private matern his services nationally. No acknowledgment of the specific
issues that we face in the Northern Territory being you know,
having only a single private provider in the Northern Territory
having the highest pery natal mortality rate in the country.
Even removing our First Nations cohort of mums, our peri
(05:19):
natal mortality rate is still higher than the national average.
That we only have one tertiary hospital in the local
Darwin area so you don't even have any other choice there,
and the fact that we don't even have any private obstetricians.
So it really was a very disheartening response. To be honest.
We've asked for a meeting, not necessarily with the Federal
(05:40):
Health Minister. I mean, that'd be great, but I'm sure
he's a very very busy man, but even someone within
the Federal Department of Health, we've had no response to that.
I have followed up with Luke Gosling and so hopefully
we will have something from him. And also I know
that the leader of the opposition, Selena Uber, has also
written to the federal Health Minister encouraging them to commit
(06:02):
to that ten million dollars. So we're still pushing. But
it was, as I said, a very sort of disappointing
response after such a long time to wait for that.
And you know, we've spoken to Luke Gosling many times
as you have about this funding, and I just don't
understand why that commitment can't can't flow.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Well, let us know, you know, if you get any
further progression following on from also speaking to Luke Gosling
and to Selena Yubo will be very keen to hear. Tessa,
I really appreciate all of your time over recent weeks.
Thank you very much for having a chat with us,
and hopefully, thank you we get some movement, you know,
with this meeting that's set to happen on Monday with
purpose Ky.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
We certainly hope, so we look forward to hearing from
the Health Minister about the outcome of those discussions.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Tessa, thank you so much. We'll talk to you again
soon
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