1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:00,200 Speaker 1: Now. 2 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 2: You might might recall we caught up with Ken a 3 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 2: few weeks ago. He'd raised concerns about the dispute between 4 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 2: health Scope and two major private health insurers who'd written 5 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 2: to the federal Health minister. He had calling for the 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: government to intervene. Well, he's now been following the situation 7 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 2: with health Scope quite closely and fears that there could 8 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 2: be broader ramifications from its decision to see those maternity 9 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 2: services at the Darwen Private Hospital as we have indeed 10 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 2: just spoken to doctor Robert. 11 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 3: Parker about this. 12 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 2: So there is you know, there are some broader concerns here, 13 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 2: There is no doubt about that. There's a lot to 14 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 2: take in and joining me live on the line right 15 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: now is hopefully I've got him there. 16 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 3: It is Ken Moffatt. Good morning to you. 17 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: Ken, Good morning Katie. 18 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 3: How are you not too bad? 19 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for your time. Now, what do 20 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 2: you make of health Scope's decision here to end maternity 21 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: and birthing services at the Darwin Private Hospital following on 22 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 2: from our previous discussions about them, You know about the 23 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 2: whole issue that we've spoken about it just a couple 24 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 2: of weeks ago. 25 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: Well, I'm hoping it's not the tip of the iceberg. 26 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: The thing is that reports in the newspaper over the 27 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: last few days have identified that the healthscote have a 28 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: one point six billion dollar debt facility that needs to 29 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 1: be rolled over. It looks like Brookfields have decided that 30 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,839 Speaker 1: there's not enough money in it for them, so they're 31 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: looking for an exit strategy. Booper have come forward and 32 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: they've said, well, you know, we'll take some of the 33 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: hospitals if you liked that, weren't going to take the cream. 34 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: So they've identified eight to twelve hospitals that might fit 35 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 1: into being the most profitable of those, and so they're 36 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: going to look at those. What really concerns me is 37 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: what happens to the other fifteen to twenty private hospitals 38 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: out there. They've already indicated that they're going to close 39 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: some private hospitals in the Sydney area now, and then 40 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:10,519 Speaker 1: you're put into context what's happened with Darwen Private Hospital 41 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: and the maternity ward. I have no idea the profitability 42 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: of the Royal Darwen Private Hospital, but if it's questionable, 43 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: then what's to say that we could even see Darwin 44 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: Private Hospital closed? Because if it's not saleable because there's 45 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: no money in it, and because Brookfield does so much money, 46 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: HEALTHCT does so much money. Yes, it's very concerning that 47 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: they've done what they've done to the maternity ward, because 48 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 1: that's an indication that maybe Darwn Hospital isn't part of 49 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: the profitable side of their business and therefore one of 50 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: the premiere assets that they can plug off and keep 51 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 1: going and all the rest of it. I guess from 52 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: my perspective, I would like to ask both the anti 53 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: health Minister mister Edgington and the federal Health Minister Mark Butler, 54 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: can they guarantee that Darwin Private Hospital will not close? 55 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: And I think that's a fair question to be asking 56 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: right now. Yeah, I think we have a real problem. 57 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: I'm believing what's going on out there. 58 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 2: I think that is an incredibly good question that you've asked. 59 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 2: And this was sort of raised with me actually yesterday 60 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 2: or fair somebody had said to me, it looks as though, 61 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 2: you know, they're trying to offload all the things that 62 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 2: aren't profitable at this point, and. 63 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 3: So that is I think that's a fair question. 64 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: If if it is a situation where the Darwin Private 65 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 2: Hospital is not then what guarantee is there. 66 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: Well, the biggest problem we then have is with Darlen 67 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: Private Hospital being the only private hospital in the Northern territory. 68 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: If it were to get into Struggle Street and or 69 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: let's just say, potentially they decided that too too expensive, 70 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: not enough proper can serve it, We're going to close it. 71 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: Then what does that do? I mean, We've talked earlier 72 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: on today. I've just been listening to your show. We've 73 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: talked earlier on today about you know what people who 74 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: are having babies have got to do? Are fabulous, I'll 75 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: give you two hundred dollars to travel to Adelaide, et cetera. 76 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: You know, it's laughable what they're going to give. And 77 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: as you say, you're then missing all the support services, 78 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: so your partner goes with you and dah blah blah. 79 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: All of that sort of stuff is like really material. 80 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: So if we're not going to have a private hospital 81 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: in Darwin, how are we going to keep the people 82 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: who are here here? And how are we going to 83 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: attract people? Because I can see that the territory is 84 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: potentially going to be developing, and therefore I can see 85 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: that we potentially are going to have an inflct of resources. 86 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: They're not going to come here if we don't have 87 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: a private hospital system. Libity in their right mind is 88 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: going to work within the public hospital system because of 89 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: the wait times that exists across so many types of surgeries. 90 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: You know, you look at hips and knees. The waiting 91 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: time in the public hospital system is horrendous. So you 92 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 1: start closing the Darlin private hospital system and you take 93 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: away all the choice for those people who said, I've 94 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: had enough pain, I want to have it, and i 95 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: want to have it now. I'm not going to wait 96 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: another three years for somebody to be available to do 97 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: it in the public system. 98 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 3: It's a really good point, Ken, I. 99 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: Think the Chief Minister needs to be asked this as well, 100 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: because although Edgington and Butler are the people in the limelight, 101 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: what's it going to do for Lea's position if we 102 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: lose Darleen private Hospital. She knows what the implications of 103 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 1: that in terms of trying to attract the type of 104 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: businesses that she wants to do into the territory and 105 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: trying to attract people that she wants to and also 106 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: she'll want to try and stop the drain of the 107 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: seniors because I can tell you what the seniors are 108 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: nearly all in the private health system, and if we 109 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: don't have a private hospital system up here, you're going 110 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: to see the seniors of the territory leaving in drove. 111 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. 112 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 2: Ken, look, I really appreciate your call. I'm going to 113 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 2: have to leave it there because we're going to head 114 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 2: across in just a moment and try and ask some 115 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 2: of those questions to Luke Gosling, who is indeed the 116 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 2: federal member for Labor. I really appreciate your time. Thank 117 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 2: you for having a chat with me this morning. 118 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: I was sent, by the way, the letter that I 119 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 1: sent to Mark Butler, so he's aware of it. He's 120 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: been back in touch with me, so pepping him on 121 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: this whole issue because he is fully across it. 122 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 3: Good on you, Ken, Thank you, thanks so much for 123 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 3: your time this morning.