NT government has failed the health system: Finocchiaro

A workers’ survey result has drawn the ire of the CLP who says the government has failed to deliver a reliable health system.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro has accused the government of failing the Territory’s health system after a workers survey showed health professionals are working beyond their job description.

The NT’s 2023 People Matter Survey results revealed 86 per cent of health workers believe they contribute outside their job description.

Only 43 per cent of workers believed they received recognition for those contributions.

Additionally, staff wellbeing was highlighted with only 58 per cent satisfied with workplace practices and policies.

Ms Finocchiaro said workers were experiencing “huge numbers of overtime” and the government were responsible.

“(The government have) not been able to make sure that we have a robust health system,” she said.

CLP Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the government had to answer for poor health workers’ survey results. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“This is largely driven by the fact that (the government) have not grown our economy, our own-source revenue, and be able to provide that important funding that healthcare needs.

“It also clearly shows that they’ve not been able to get on top of alcohol-fuelled violence which is driving a lot of the service delivery across our health network and these a critical issues that have to be dealt with if we’re going to continue to retain Territorians here.”

Ms Finocchiaro said the Territory struggle to attract and maintain medical practitioners into the future if crime wasn’t solved.

“People are finding it impossible to recruit because people don’t want to move to the Territory due to the high levels of crime,” she said.

“(Crime is) literally having an economic, social impact in a way that Labor aren’t getting to the bottom of – we can’t attract good workers to the Territory (and) maintain health professionals if they’re too scared to live and work here and so crime, again, is the number one issue driving people away from the Territory and keeping people away.”

Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison said the government were focusing on Territorians’ priorities.

Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison slammed the opposition leader’s comments.

“Territorians remember exactly how it was under the CLP,” she said.

“They hiked power prices up by 30 per cent, sacked 600 public servants, promised to deliver 120 police, only delivered 30, and slashed youth funding.”

Ms Manison maintained Territorians and the government were aligned.

“The Territory Labor government is completely focused on creating jobs, tackling cost of living pressures and making the Territory safer,” she said.

“Those are our priorities because those are Territorians priorities.”

It comes after national data revealed the NT had the highest rate of emergency department presentations, with the average time in the waiting room increasing year-on-year.