Elective surgeries deferred in latest Darwin and Palmerston hospitals code yellow

Top End hospitals have gone to their sixth code yellow in six months, with elective surgeries now being impacted.

Elective surgeries have been deferred as Darwin and Palmerston hospitals enter their second code yellow in just two weeks.

The emergency response was called on Tuesday evening due to “continued peaks” in patient admissions and hospital demand.

It marks the sixth code yellow in Top End hospitals in six months but the first time elective surgeries have been deferred.

An NT Health statement said emergency surgery and day surgery would not be impacted.

“Some elective surgery has been temporarily postponed so that patients with more urgent care needs can be admitted to hospital,” it read.

“NT Health will contact impacted patients as soon as possible with a new surgery date.”

It said surge management plans were in place to “reallocate resources”, with admissions and discharges to be impacted.

Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Robert Parker said staff shortages and inadequate bed capacity were the two main pressures on the Territory’s health system.

“The situation is the result of underfunding by both sides of government over many years,” he said.

“Another significant factor is that about 20 per cent of our hospital beds are taken up by people who should be in a nursing home setting.

“(That cohort) is growing, our older population is presenting with more complex health needs.”

AMA NT president Robert Parker said code yellows were the result of significant government underfunding over many years. Picture: Julianne Osborne

He said Royal Darwin Hospital had been under a “perpetual state” of pressure since the last code yellow was called on August 9.

Budget estimates in June revealed Royal Darwin and Palmerston hospitals were under a code yellow for a total of 46 days in the past year – leading to the delay of 37 elective surgeries.

Katherine Hospital was also placed under a code yellow in November due to pressures on bed capacity, while Gove District Hospital had three code yellows in the 2022-23 fiscal year due to network outages.

In April Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the government would fund the build of a new 32-bed facility at Royal Darwin Hospital, planned to be operational in 12 to 18 months.

Dr Parker said while the announcement was welcomed, the health system would also require a significant extra funding to staff the new beds.

Ms Fyles, who is the NT Health Minister, was asked how the project was tracking to which she only said it was “progressing”.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the government had invested $2bn into health in its latest budget. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“To make sure we are keeping with capacity measures, the Territory Labor government is bolstering capacity at Royal Darwin Hospital as part of a $2bn investment in health infrastructure and services across the Territory,” she said.

“We are progressing the development of the new 32 bed multipurpose facility at RDH and the new 60-bed aged care facility for Greater Darwin to ease the pressure on RDH.”

She said some category two and three elective surgeries had been deferred.

“The need to maintain a code yellow is assessed on a twice-daily basis by the hospital executive,” she said.

“This allows the service to be responsive to demands and place appropriate controls, including surge management plans.”