Former DTBI boss Michael Tennant brought in to lead major NT Health restructure
EXCLUSIVE: A high-profile former NT public service boss has been brought in to manage a major internal restructure of NT Health
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A HIGH-PROFILE former NT public service boss has been brought in to manage a major internal restructure of NT Health.
The NT News has confirmed former Department of Trade, Business and Innovation chief executive Michael Tennant, now an associate partner at Ernst and Young, is leading the overarching “redesign” program.
The major shake-up of NT Health involves the integration of Central Australia Health Service, Top End Health Service and NT Health into one mega-entity.
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Health Minister Natasha Fyles, during budget estimates on Wednesday, attempted to quell fears from opposition and crossbench MLAs that the restructure would result in the centralisation of health services in Darwin at the detriment of regional areas.
The restructure, sparked by the coronavirus response, is expected to be in place within six months. NT Health did not confirm if the contract awarded to Ernst and Young had gone out to tender.
The department did confirm that, in April, Ernst and Young were called in by NT Health to conduct an “urgent review” to help them figure out how to manage “current and emerging risks” and also to help “innovate” their service delivery amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The restructure won’t bring about forced redundancies, according to the government.
Ms Fyles said the restructure would make sharing expertise easier, such as being able to bring Alice Springs specialists up to the Top End when needed, or sending clinicians from Darwin to Nhulunbuy so people in community could receive care closer to home. But the opposition and Independent Araluen MP Robyn Lambley are sceptical that “integration” by any other name is “centralisation” that could impact the regions.
“Isn’t this just about Darwin and wanting to control the rest of the NT … (by) centralising services in Darwin?
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“We’ve seen this before, Minister, history repeating itself,” Ms Lambley said. Ms Fyles said this was “absolutely not” the case.
An NT Health spokeswoman said the restructure would “strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the health system”.
Proposed changes to the Health Services Act are planned for March 2021, and are expected to be in effect by July.
Ms Fyles on Tuesday announced that Health Department CEO Catherine Stoddart had resigned and would finish up in February.
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