How federal government helped sink CDU’s medical school plan

The Territory missed out on student doctor places while Ararat and Rockhampton scored big-time. Read why we missed out.

A revised application process and poor advice from federal agencies contributed to Charles Darwin University’s failed bid for commonwealth funding to train 40 medical school students in the Northern Territory.

CDU teamed with Menzies School of Health and Western Sydney University to form the CDU Menzies School of Medicine, with a plan to secure 40 medical cmmonwealth supported places – the first in the history of the Territory.

The medical school was seeking $21.8m to operate, but instead got just $2.8m to hopefully prepare for funding next year.

CDU Vice Chancellor Scott Bowman. Picture: Sierra Haigh

Flinders University trains 12 doctors a year in the Northern Territory, but most of those come from South Australia and return home after they graduate.

CDU wanted to train local doctors in the hope the majority would remain in the Territory and boost medical capacity.

The Northern Territory learnt on Sunday it had missed out as more prosperous, less isolated communities received additional doctor places.

Commonwealth-supported places were allocated to Ararat and Warrnambool in Victoria, Rockhampton in Queensland, Wollongong in NSW, Broome in WA and throughout regional Tasmania and South Australia.

The NT News has seen a copy of a letter written to Health Minister Mark Butler by CDU vice-chancellor Professor Scott Bowman in which the academic said it would be “disingenuous’ to not directly express his concerns about the Health Department’s processes.

The letter said when assessment framework for new medical CSPs was published by the commonwealth in 2021, a key component was to operate in partnership with an existing medical school.

As a consequence CDU signed a partnership in early 2022 with Western Sydney University, which provided an accredited undergraduate medical curriculum as well as academic and administrative support.

Health and Aged Minister Care Mark Butler during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

CDU’s application had the support of all the NT’s federal politicians, the NT government and Chief Minister Natasha Fyles.

It received notification in writing by a senior official in the Federal Health Department on November 10, 2022 that CDU would be eligible to apply through the Western Sydney University partnership.

The application process commenced in May 2023 and closed on July 28 but the criteria ultimately served to make CDU’s application non-compliant.

CDU wrote to the Department on June 1, 2023 to say the assessment framework contained a stronger requirement than previously in place, but nothing was changed.

The 2021 framework said that to be eligible, universities had only to be ‘operating in a recognised formal partnership’, which CDU had negotiated in good faith with Western Sydney University.

But the updated guidelines meant that Western Sydney University would have to apply for the places and also required the applying university to sacrifice an equal number of places for the new rural school even though CDU, which doesn’t have an existing medical school, had no places to sacrifice.

CDU acknowledged it would be unlikely for an interstate jurisdiction to sacrifice places for the NT.

In his letter to Mr Butler, Professor Bowman requested CDU is granted the $21.8m required “at the earliest opportunity ahead of the 2024-25 budget”.

“While I look forward to seeing the detail of this ($2.8m) commitment, it seems likely the work envisaged with this investment, actually commenced at least a year ago,” he said.