1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: And we are going to head straight across now to 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: Matt Cunningham from Sky News, who has broken this story 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: which we've just been discussing about doctors and senior health 4 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: executives discussing shutting the emergency department at one of Greater 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: Darwin's two hospitals during crisis talks over staff shortages. Good 6 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: morning to you, Matt, Good morning Katie mate. I mean 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 1: this does sound to me as though we're in a 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: pretty difficult situation in the territory. If we've got three 9 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: code yellows this year already at Royal Darwin Hospital, and 10 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: our discussions about we'll closing the emergency department at the 11 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: Palmerston Hospital. 12 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: Well absolutely, I think you know we are at crisis point, Katie. 13 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 2: And I'm told that the hospital, the top ing hospital 14 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 2: system is at about twenty percent below full quota a 15 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: full time employee, so the amount of stress on the 16 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: staff in working in those hospitals is just enormous, Katie, 17 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: and I think that's what you're seeing play out here now. 18 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 2: I've confirmed through individual sources that there was a meeting 19 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: held about two weeks ago that involved emergency department doctors 20 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 2: and senior health executives and there are a few options 21 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 2: that were presented at that meeting to try to deal 22 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 2: with this staff shortage. Now one of those and perhaps 23 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: this is the most draftic, was the closure of the 24 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 2: Parmerston Hospital emergency department. We know that since that facility 25 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 2: opened in Augs twenty eighteen, it's meant that the staff's 26 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 2: had to be spread across those two hospitals rather than 27 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 2: all being in the one place. So that's one proposal 28 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 2: that was put forward. Another proposal put forward Katie was 29 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: reducing the services of the Parmerstan Hospital d significantly so 30 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: that there'd just be a handful of beds there for 31 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 2: walking patients and that ambulances would be directed to go 32 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 2: straight to Royal dal And Hospital. Of course, you know 33 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: we've reported a few weeks ago that situation where ambulances 34 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: were transferring patients between the two hospitals. I think it's 35 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 2: become pretty clear that the existence of the Parmeerston Hospital 36 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: and in particular having a full service emergency department facility, 37 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 2: has meant that there has been in some ways of 38 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 2: doubling up of services and that it's had a huge 39 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 2: impact on the staff. Now, doctors have been concerned about 40 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 2: this for a long time, as in Okady, but I 41 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 2: think we're starting to see that come to the fall now. 42 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: There was that meeting a couple of weeks ago. Now 43 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 2: my understanding is that there was an agreement to sort 44 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: of see if things could be sorted out staffing, Liz 45 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: by the end of this month, and then make a 46 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 2: further decision about a way forward. Now at the moment, 47 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 2: they're trying to do everything they can to get as 48 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 2: many staff working in our hospital system as they can. 49 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 2: All of the hospital staff who had been secondered, for example, 50 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 2: to the National Critical Care and Trauma Center, have been 51 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 2: told to go back into the hospital system. Also had 52 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: a situation, Katie, with the Northern Territory government taking over 53 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: the how It's Drinks quarantine facility because that required them 54 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 2: to recruit four hundred staff. A lot of those staff 55 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 2: came from the hospital system as well. So there are 56 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 2: a number of factors that are putting an enormous amount 57 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 2: of straining on the staffing in our top end hospital system, 58 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: and now that's leaning to some of these drastic measures 59 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 2: being discussed at the highest level. Matt. 60 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: It's an incredibly difficult situation that we're in We all 61 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: know that our doctors and nurses and all of those 62 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: support stuff at both of those hospitals do a tremendous job. 63 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: But if they don't actually have the staffing levels that 64 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: they require, it makes it incredibly bloody difficult for them 65 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: to do their jobs. 66 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 2: Well, it certainly does. And I'm told that it's nursing 67 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 2: staff in particular, that there's a shorty job. Now consider 68 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 2: it is, Katie, if you're a nurse in your work, 69 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: say in Victoria, you generally work to afford to one 70 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 2: nurse to patient ratio. Now Here in the Northern Territory, 71 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 2: even in the best of time, they're often working at 72 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 2: a seven or eight to one nurse to patient ratio. 73 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: That's only getting worse as our hospitals are getting visier 74 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 2: and as staff as stretched across those two facilities. So 75 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 2: you know, I've been told by people that the system 76 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 2: is just about a breaking point and that there really 77 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 2: does need to be a circuit breaker to try and 78 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 2: fix what's going on. Of course, all this is happening, 79 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 2: Katie without any of your community transmission of coronavirus in 80 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory, So you have to wonder what kind 81 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: of situation we're being in if we get a COVID 82 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: outbreak here and suddenly even more stress was put on 83 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 2: our hospital than if the hospital then needed deferlough staff 84 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 2: and et cetera, et cetera. I mean, there is the 85 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: potential for this to become a full blown crisis we 86 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: don't do something to address it pretty quickly. 87 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, it would be incredibly frightening. Matt Our phone lines 88 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: are going absolutely ballistic this morning, so I can only 89 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: assume that it's people calling through on this very topic. 90 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: Someone's just called through to say he's been at URDH 91 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: and he's never seen it so busy before. I myself 92 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 1: have spoken to people who work in that emergency department. 93 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: I know you've spoken to plenty of them, and this 94 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 1: is exactly why this story has ended up. You know, 95 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 1: out in the media, it sounds as though it's almost 96 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: a bit of a cry for help. 97 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think there are a lot of frustrated people 98 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 2: working in the hospital system. 99 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: Now. 100 00:04:57,800 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: You know, you've got to have some sympathy for the governm. 101 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 2: They're working under incredibly difficult circumstances here. They've also got 102 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 2: the added problem given there's COVID that it's really difficult 103 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 2: now to get a lot of those people who would 104 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: come here either run a three or six month contract 105 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 2: or come from overseas to work here, to actually get 106 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 2: here to work in that system. So maybe that's something 107 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 2: that needs to be worked around as well. I've had 108 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 2: another suggestion this morning that we need to start perhaps 109 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,359 Speaker 2: leaning on some of those older retired nurses or nurses 110 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,799 Speaker 2: who aren't necessarily university qualified. You know, your old school 111 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: nurse who might be out in the community but might 112 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 2: still have the skills and still might be available to 113 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 2: work there. So I'm sure there's plenty of options that 114 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 2: are out there, but it might take a little bit 115 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 2: of creative thinking to work out how we're going to 116 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 2: get through this problem. 117 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 1: Well, Matt Cunningham, I know that you are incredibly busy 118 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: this morning. Thank you so much for talking us through 119 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: this story. No worry, thank you. That's Matt Cunningham there 120 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: from Sky News.