1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,240 Speaker 1: Now joining us live on the line to talk about 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: this and plenty more, is doctor John Zorbis, the head 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: of the Australian Medical Association here in the Northern Territory. 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, doctors. 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 3: Orbis, Morning Katie, morning to listeners. 6 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show now, Doctors orbis 7 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: that breaking news that just came through from the Health Minister. 8 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: He's anticipating it's going to be ten million dollars additional 9 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: provided by the Federal government for maternity services here in 10 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory, not the thirty five million which had 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: been requested. 12 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 2: What do you make of that? 13 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, the minister said he was extremely disappointed. I'm 14 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 3: angry and the potential mothers of dow and should be ropable. 15 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 3: You mentioned that we don't want to be ungrateful, and 16 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 3: ten million is ten million, But ultimately, when it comes 17 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 3: to fixing health facilities, ten million doesn't go very far. 18 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 3: It won't fix our capacity issues, it won't be enough, 19 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 3: it won't be what we need. This is a recurring 20 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 3: problem in healthcare and Australia. You don't really our funding 21 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 3: systems aren't very good at pointing the fire hose of 22 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 3: money where the problems are so if you take heart disease, 23 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 3: we've got the highest rates of heart disease in the 24 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 3: country and yet we're the only capital city in Australia 25 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 3: that doesn't have a full time cardiothoracic surgical service for 26 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 3: bypass surgery, and people are constantly having to be flowing 27 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 3: out of the territory for that. We're not really you 28 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 3: know that. We can look at how they work it 29 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 3: out and per capita and the beds and the safe 30 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 3: and territories can argue with each other, but at the 31 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 3: end of the day, the money need is to go 32 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 3: to where the sickness and people who need the resources are. Yeah. 33 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: I couldn't agree with you more and it's something you 34 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: and I have spoken about before. 35 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 2: But yeah, I think you're right. 36 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: I think the women of the Northern Territory, the future mums, 37 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: people planning to have families, you know, ten million dollars. 38 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: When you think about that and think about what it's 39 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: actually going to do, I don't think it's going to 40 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: be much. 41 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 3: It won't be enough. Even if it does increase any 42 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 3: sort of the clinical spaces that we've got, it won't 43 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 3: be enough. Part of that is because our facilities are 44 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 3: getting older, so Royal dalinting it's an age facility now 45 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 3: and we don't need a new hospital and that is 46 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 3: on the horizon, but that's not something you get done overnight. 47 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 3: So the refurbishment work you need in a building like 48 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 3: Royal Dale Hospital costs a lot more than on a 49 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 3: new build or a greenfield site. 50 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, John, let's talk more generally about how things are 51 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: going at the moment. 52 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 2: We know that Code yellow was called for Royal. 53 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: Darwin and Palmerston Hospital earlier in the week, the Minister 54 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: confirming it's still in place. From your perspective, you know, 55 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: on the ground inside the hospital, how are things going. 56 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, doctors are coming to us, I might say. 57 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 3: You know, firstly start by saying thanks to the doctors 58 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 3: and the nurses and all the patients, you know, people 59 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 3: heeding the public messaging. It's been a huge help when 60 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 3: things are strained like this. We need to not make 61 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 3: this political and you know, extending that thanks to the 62 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 3: Health Department and the Minister. This wasn't a political decision 63 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 3: and we appreciate that code yellow should be clinical decisions. 64 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 3: In terms of how things are going, it's still very, 65 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 3: very busy all the leavers a been pulled. The doctors 66 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,679 Speaker 3: are telling us that they're still still pumping at DH Unsurprisingly. 67 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 3: It's not just about the hospital though. For every patient 68 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 3: that can't be flown in from our communities, you know, 69 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 3: they've got to stay in clinic in Raming, Guinning or 70 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,239 Speaker 3: Manam Greta or wherever they might be, and that means 71 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 3: sicker people are sitting outside the system. Any delayter care, 72 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 3: you know, this is a circuit breaker, but that the 73 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 3: latter care will lead to a bit of a surge 74 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 3: down the track. So it's only a temporary fix and 75 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 3: it's not fixed yet. We're still not where we need 76 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 3: to be to roll back. 77 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: And I mean you and I again, we've spoken on 78 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: numerous occasions about the funding model, about the fact that 79 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: we need more funding when it comes to our hospital. 80 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: John just talk us through, you know, the funding and 81 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: the Minister had spoken about it just a few minutes 82 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: ago as well. I mean he's saying I think he said, 83 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: we're two hundred billion dollars short just in that operational 84 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: funding each year. What's your take on this funding? And 85 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: you know, I guess so it's really clear in everybody's minds. 86 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: You know for for the federal government and what we 87 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: actually need from them. 88 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 3: Yep, so the figures that the Health Department spreaking are correct. 89 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 3: So we come out to roughly the same sort of 90 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 3: just north of four hundred million in terms of the 91 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 3: amount that we're talking about that's missing from the federal contribution, 92 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 3: and that covers hospital services. So the NHIRA agreement is 93 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 3: how we pay for hospitals around Australia, aged care, retrieval, 94 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 3: medicine and primary care, especially in the remote and rural regions. 95 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 3: So if you just look at hospital services that two 96 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 3: hundred mili. That figure comes from the fact that when 97 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 3: you look at every state and territory we get about 98 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 3: seven to eight percent less than the average. That makes 99 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 3: no sense. There is absolutely no reason we pay the 100 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 3: same tax. We've got longer distances to travel and we've 101 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 3: got sicker people up here. It does not make sense 102 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 3: that we're not even at the starting line. And I 103 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 3: know there was a post from Luke Goslin's office yesterday 104 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 3: about the fact that you know that's projected there's going 105 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 3: to be a thirty percent increase and if you break 106 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 3: those numbers down, it comes out to what we've been 107 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 3: asking for to be brought back up to the average. 108 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 3: So you know, some of that is new money, and 109 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 3: we appreciate that, but that still only gets us to 110 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 3: the starting line. We're not even at the starting line 111 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 3: at the moment, so I'm not exactly jumping for joy. 112 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 3: The other areas, you know, we're talking about tens of 113 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 3: millions of dollars in age care, retrieval, primary care. Yeah, 114 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 3: these are areas that we need to perform better in. 115 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 3: There is a fifth area, though, and that's the top 116 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 3: up funding. So every state and territory has you know, 117 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 3: the states and territories run those health services. NT Health 118 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 3: runs our hospitals. Every state territory is different. They've got 119 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 3: their priorities, you know, they've got to choose where to 120 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 3: put that extra money. And for every dollar we spend 121 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 3: outside of health, that's a dollar I can't spend in health. 122 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 3: I'm not one of those people who's going to say, 123 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 3: build ten new hospitals, and we don't get things like 124 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 3: stadiums and schools and other things that are really important 125 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 3: to how we live up here. But we're definitely definitely 126 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 3: short on the health fire of the equation. And there 127 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 3: are some conversations we need to have about what our 128 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 3: priority is going to be for the next couple of 129 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 3: years and where that money is going to come from. 130 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: Know that, you know, at the moment, there does seem 131 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: to be a bit of a tit for tat between 132 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: the federal government and the territory government about who's responsible 133 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: for funding the funding shortfall that we're experiencing, and you know, 134 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: what we need funding for and justification for how much 135 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: money we have gotten all the rest of it, you know, 136 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: to everyday territory. And so I guess we've all reached 137 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: a point where we're like, Okay, let's just sort this 138 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: out so that we can try to make sure we've 139 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: got the funding that we actually need for our hospitals 140 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: and for healthcare more generally. 141 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, the beauty of working in healthcare is you're 142 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 3: a user of the system too. So I can I 143 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 3: can count on two hands how many times my family 144 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 3: has needed health services in the NT. We're part of 145 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 3: the consumer group, and nobody, nobody is interested in whose responsibility. 146 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 3: This is what they're interested in is the problem being fixed, 147 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 3: and that's that's you know, that's a shot across the 148 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 3: bow for our government for our opposition for the federal 149 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 3: government and federal opposition living in the territory right now 150 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 3: airs about which section of the constitution says who's responsible 151 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 3: for what little armor of the health service they want. 152 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 3: And what we're asking for is what's fair. So I 153 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 3: don't expect that we're going to get ten times as 154 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 3: much money as New South Wales to build a brand 155 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 3: spanking new hospital. Not silly, but we should get what's fair, 156 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 3: and right now we're not even there. 157 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 2: Doctor's orbis. 158 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: You know, we talk often, obviously about the pressures on 159 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: Royal dal and Hospital. I mean, we've spoken a lot 160 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: recently about maternity services. But I also note that the AMA, 161 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: the Australian Medical Association, has released a statement on patients 162 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: with mental health conditions and the fact that they're continuing 163 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: to spend an average of seven hours waiting for care 164 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: in public hospital emergency departments in conditions will that exacerbate 165 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: symptoms and lead to attacks on hospital staff? I mean, 166 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: that is that's concerning for a number of reasons. 167 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, there is no good news in any part of that. 168 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 3: So the AMA routinely releases hospital scorecards or scorecards looking 169 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 3: at primary care or mental health or our hospitals. They're 170 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 3: publicly available side encourage any of your listeners to go 171 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 3: to AMA dot com dot au and they can find 172 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 3: all this info and all the data that we've pulled 173 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 3: from public and government sources. If you look at the staff, 174 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 3: mental health, access to emergency services and mental health is 175 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 3: not improving in Australia. If anything, it's getting worse. We 176 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 3: hold the unenviable title of having the least number of 177 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 3: mental health beds per one hundred thousand. Now the caveat 178 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:37,959 Speaker 3: there is we are about to, you know, in the 179 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 3: middle of constructing a new eighteen bed mental health ward 180 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,439 Speaker 3: and that's welcomely. You know, we really want to see 181 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 3: that up and running and the government have also committed 182 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 3: to funding it operationally. No point having the building, you 183 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 3: need the money for the staff as well, so we 184 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 3: need that online. But you know we needed that online 185 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 3: five ten years ago. The number of beds for mental 186 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 3: health patients in the territory hasn't increased since twenty sixteen, 187 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 3: but the workload certainly has. It's also outside the hospital 188 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 3: as well. It's these wrap around services and community so 189 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 3: early access to your GP, early access to psychologists and 190 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 3: services that help you deal with things in the early 191 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 3: stages and so we can nip them in the bud 192 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 3: because the absolute workplace to deal with mental health is 193 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,719 Speaker 3: the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. We need 194 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 3: the fence at the top of the cliff. When you're 195 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 3: in the emergency department completely psychotic, it's dangerous for you, 196 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 3: it's dangerous for staff. It's so much harder to treat 197 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 3: than if we've just gone back and addressed the root 198 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 3: cause five ten years ago. 199 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, Doctor's orbust before I let you go. 200 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: I mean, how big an impact do you think that 201 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: this new ward that's going to be complete by I 202 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: believe it's mid or early next year. The thirty two 203 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: beads I believe it is out there at Royal daal 204 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: And Hospital. 205 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:51,839 Speaker 2: How big an impact is that going to. 206 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 3: Have depends how it's used, Katie. So we need to 207 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 3: see that it's going to be fully funded and fully operational. 208 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 3: So that's thirty two actual beds twenty four to seven. 209 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 3: We need to make sure that that bedstock's used by 210 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 3: the services that need to be inside Royal Dale In Hospital. 211 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 3: If we just fill this ward up with more patients 212 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 3: who need to be somewhere else, like age care patients 213 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 3: or mental health patients, you know, where they're not getting 214 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 3: the care they need. And also this is about them 215 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 3: getting the care they need too. We need our age 216 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:22,320 Speaker 3: care patients and age care beds so they get age 217 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 3: care services. If we do that, then this ward won't 218 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 3: help it. It's just expanding the size of a system 219 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 3: that's not doing what we needed to do. If we 220 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 3: fund it, if we resource it, if we operate it properly, 221 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 3: it's going to be a welcome increase to our bedstock. 222 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 3: We still need more, but you know, thirty two beds 223 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 3: will be a welcome increase. 224 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, Doctor's orbist just ducking back to you know, to 225 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: the Australian Medical Association's pressure lace that came out, you 226 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: know about the mental health conditions. Can I just ask, 227 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: you know, how are our staff going at the hospital? 228 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: You know when you talk about this kind of thing, 229 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: and I know that we're talking about people with mental 230 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: health conditions, but part of that that really bothered me 231 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: is the fact that it does lead to attacks on 232 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: hospital staff. I know, you know, I may be slightly biased. 233 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: My mum's a nurse. She hasn't worked in an emergency 234 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: department for a long long time. But you know, I 235 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: always think of those staff, and I think of the doctors, 236 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: the nurses, all of the support staff there, and how 237 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: difficult it must be at different times, particularly when you 238 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: go through a week like we have where we've got 239 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: a cod yellow. I know you guys are busy all 240 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: the time, but how are people going. 241 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 3: Look, I'll share a story with you, Kady. I've been 242 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 3: assaulted twice by patients in the emergency department, and I 243 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 3: mean physically assaulted. It's not good for our staff at all. 244 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 3: Healthcare workers normalize this. We don't do a good job 245 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,679 Speaker 3: across Australia of how we manage this. We just say 246 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 3: it's part of the job. There's an ad campaign by 247 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 3: the South Australian Paramedics at the moment that sort of 248 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 3: highlights this. And nobody providing a healthcare service should be 249 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 3: subject to abuse, and I'd extend that to every other 250 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 3: government service. Our teacher shouldn't face it, our police shouldn't 251 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 3: face you know, this is not something that you should. 252 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 3: Nobody deserves to rock up to work and get assaulted. 253 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 3: That's not on the problem is if you took you 254 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 3: or me and you put us in an emergency department 255 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 3: in a room you sometimes a locked room with fluorescent 256 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 3: lines that don't get switched off, with noise that's running 257 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 3: twenty four to seven, with all the chaos that comes 258 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 3: in an emergency department, I'd say we'd be pretty on 259 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 3: edge too, you know, like we have to recognize that 260 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 3: the system and the environment is the main driver here. 261 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 3: These are people in crisis. These are people seeking help. 262 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 3: So they don't look at me and think you're in 263 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 3: a way I'm going to punch you in the face. 264 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 3: That's not how this goes. The end result is that 265 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 3: we're seeing an increase in assaults on staff. Patients aren't 266 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:47,199 Speaker 3: getting the treatment they need. This is a solvable problem, 267 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 3: and that problem is our bed capacity. If we look 268 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 3: at the cause of this, this is a fixable problem. 269 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 3: It's an expensive one and it's a hard one, but 270 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:56,439 Speaker 3: it's fixable. And so the question we have to ask 271 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 3: ourselves is how seriously do we take these commitments that 272 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 3: we have towards You're a tolerance for our staff. 273 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 2: Very very good point. 274 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: Doctor John's orbis I always appreciate your time, Like I 275 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: always say, I know you're a very busy man, so 276 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: I appreciate you taking the time to have a chat 277 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: with us this morning. And a big thanks to all 278 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 1: the staff at Royal dah And Hospital Palmerston Hospital. I 279 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: know everybody's working really hard. 280 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 3: They're superstars. I work with some of the best people 281 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 3: in the country. I really mean that. 282 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh good on you. Thank you, Doctors Orbis. I 283 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: really appreciate you chatting with us today. 284 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 2: Thanks Ga, thank you, Thanks so much.