The federal government will offer $24m in funding for a Charles Darwin University medical school

The Territory has achieved a significant win ahead of next week’s federal budget, with a major health announcement. Find out more.

The Commonwealth has committed $24.6m to establish a medical school at Charles Darwin University from 2026.

The federal government will announce on Friday it had committed the money to kickstart the NT’s first stand-alone medical school, based in Darwin.

The money means CDU will be invited to apply for an ongoing allocation of 40 students commencing Commonwealth Supported Places a year.

The announcement is a big win for CDU’s management, which was left gutted last year when their application for Commonwealth Supported Places was rejected.

Instead the Commonwealth committed $2.8m to fund exploratory work on the establishment of a medical school.

Professor Dianne Stephens. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

University vice-chancellor Scott Bowman and foundation dean of CDU’s school of medicine, Professor Dianne Stephens have been lobbying for the start-up funding since 2021.

Next week’s federal budget will include funding for the school, subject to outcomes of exploratory work announced by the Government in 2023, including development of a medical school curriculum and accreditation by the Australian Medical Council.

Funding will be provided to support capital, establishment, and recurrent costs.

The Commonwealth said the funding would secure additional doctors in the NT, because medical graduates who come from a regional background or study in the regions are more likely to stay and practice in these areas.

It said the final report of the Australian Universities Accord identified a need to increase the number of medical students practising in regional areas and that a locally trained and based medical workforce with an understanding of local communities will benefit Territory patients.

In addition to the CDU funding, the federal Government will deliver an additional $4.7m over five years to Flinders University’s existing Northern Territory Medical Program to provide an extra six supported places per year to become junior doctors and registrars working and living in the Territory.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

This is in addition to the 30 positions per year already provided under the program.

The Commonwealth funding for the NT’s own stand-alone medical school will bring to an end the absurd situation where Orange in regional NSW with a population of 40,000 had a medical school and the Territory did not.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the medical school would mean Territorians will no longer have to travel interstate to study the vocation.

“For too long students from the NT who have wanted to study medicine have had to start their study away from home.” Mr Butler said.

“We know junior doctors and trainees are more likely to work in communities that they study in.

“Establishing a medical school will be an important step in developing and retaining a high-quality medical workforce equipped to deal with the Territory’s unique health challenges.”

His federal Territory colleagues agreed, with assistant minister for Indigenous Health Malarndirri McCarthy saying it will boost the Aboriginal health workforce.

“I’m particularly looking forward to seeing opportunities to grow the number of first nations medical practitioners,” he said.

The CDU Casuarina Campus. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

Solomon MP Luke Gosling said the local NT federal politicians had delivered on a promise.

“There is strong demand for doctors across the country, and this historic announcement delivers on a longstanding commitment to boost our local healthcare workforce,” he said.

“Training our own means that we’ll have doctors with a more nuanced understanding of the local challenges and landscape.”

Professor Stephens was understandably delighted at the announcement.

“I am absolutely lost for words at how fantastic this announcement is and how it validates all the work the team has put in over two and a half years to get this program up and running for the Northern Territory community,” Professor Stephens said.

“It is going to be a game changer for the medical workforce in the Northern Territory and we will continue to work with our partners to make sure this program is perfect for Northern Territory context.”

“It’s a privilege and an honour to contribute to the growth to the Northern Territory. I love this place, my children have grown up here. We have a bright future, and this will contribute to that future.”