AMA NT says 100 extra beds at RDH required to meet demand following code yellow

Royal Darwin Hospital requires about 100 extra beds to meet demand says the Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Robert Parker.

ROYAL Darwin Hospital requires about 100 extra beds to meet demand and ease pressure says the Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Robert Parker.

It comes as Royal Darwin Hospital declared its third Code Yellow since January.

The Code Yellow means category two and three elective surgery have temporarily been postponed.

Dr Parker said the number of beds available had not kept up with the population increase of the Northern Territory.

“(RDH) Probably needs another 100 beds to adequately address the current heath needs of the population,” he said.

He said the bed shortage crisis wasn’t unique to the NT but a nationwide issue.

He said a Code Yellow as not only extra pressure on staff but could lead to long term health issues.

“People get things delayed, scans are delayed, cancers are not picked up,” Dr Parker said.

“The problem is delaying procedures adds to the health burden later on.”

The AMA NT says Royal Darwin Hospital requires 100 extra beds. Picture: Che Chorley

He said Palmerston Regional Hospital had limited value in dealing with a wide range of needs. He did say the PRH had been useful for geriatrics and rehab.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said she recognised there had been pressures on staff and the system.

“We recognise there have been pressures in the Mental Health space at Royal Darwin Hospital and we are taking action to ease this,” she said.

An already announced, 18-bed mental health inpatient facility at RDH and a stabilisation and referral area is expected to help address mental health bed shortages and ease the burden on the Emergency Department, however it falls far short of the 100 extra beds flagged by Dr Parker.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro said three Code Yellows in a year wasn’t good enough.

“This government needs to start explaining to Territorians why our hospital continues to go into crisis on its watch, and whether or not the hospital is able to take the impact if Covid was to come into our community,” she said.

Originally published as AMA NT says 100 extra beds at RDH required to meet demand following code yellow