Health Minister Steve Edgington has slammed Labor leader Uibo for ‘significant issues’ with Acacia

Health Minister Steve Edgington has labelled the Opposition Leader as incompetent and a liar, after significant issues were revealed with the digital patient health records system, Acacia.

Steve Edgington is the current Minister of Health. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Health Minister Steve Edgington has labelled Labor leader Selena Uibo as incompetent after significant issues were revealed surrounding the Territory’s shelved health records system, Acacia.

Issues with the $259m patient health records system Acacia were flagged by medicos “two to four years” prior to its introduction into Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospitals’ emergency departments but were not resolved.

Opposition Leader Selena Uibo was the Minister for Health and Minister for Digital Development when the decision to pause the rollout of Acacia into the Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department was taken.

Opposition Leader Selena Uibo has come under fire recently for a number of false claims. Picture: Fia Walsh.

Mr Edgington on Tuesday told media the findings were “just another mess” the CLP had to clean up, and claimed Ms Uibo had done nothing to fix the system issue.

“We now know Selena Uibo was sent a confidential brief on the serious issues surrounding the Acacia system back in January last year when emergency doctors reported the failed system was putting lives at risk”, he said.

“Despite lives being on the line, Selena Uibo did nothing to sort out this issue in the eight months prior to Labor being turfed from office.”

Mr Edginton said the budget for the project blew out by $61m from $259m to $320m.

“In fact, all she did was also leave us with a $280 million overspend in the health budget,” he said.

“That was one year ago, and to this day the Acacia system is still not being used in the Royal Darwin and Palmerston hospital emergency departments while the system is enhanced.”

Royal Darwin Hospital is temporarily operating on the older CareSys system. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Edgington said the system, which first rolled out in 2022, was still in daily use in the Katherine, Gove, Darwin and Palmerston hospitals.

“The Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospital emergency departments are temporarily operating on the older CareSys system while Acacia is further enhanced,” he said.

“Acacia is scheduled to be re-implemented in the Royal Darwin and Palmerston hospital emergency departments in April 2025.

“By mid-2025, all Territory hospitals, including Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, are expected to be using the Acacia system.”

Responding to the Health Minister’s claims, Ms Uibo said she would not apologise.

“The Minister for Health and his colleagues need to stop playing political games and personal politics with important issues and get on with running government”, she said.

“I make no apology for putting the lives of patients first and listening to senior doctors in the ED who asked for a temporary pause of the system while software enhancements were undertaken.

“Minister Edgington handpicked the current Health CEO who was in charge of ACACIA from the start and oversaw its rollout. They need to get on with sorting it out.”

Originally published as Health Minister Steve Edgington has slammed Labor leader Uibo for ‘significant issues’ with Acacia