Review to investigate emergency services in the Northern Territory
A new review will investigate the state of the Northern Territory's ambulance services amid calls for emergency responders to be brought back under government control. St John Ambulance is responsible for ambulance services across the territory with the government today handing it an extra seven million dollars to cope with rising pressures.
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TVTranscript
00:00 Slow steps in fixing the struggling health system.
00:05 A new 32 bed ward at Royal Darwin finally breaking ground more than a year after it was first promised.
00:12 We know we've had those issues around code yellows.
00:15 We know the issues around overcrowding, the problems we see that face health.
00:19 Starting alongside construction, another review of the territory's ambulance system.
00:25 We need to be able to spend the time in 24 doing the review work so then we can make decisions in 2025 around what ambulance services look like.
00:35 On the table for the Chief Minister, the choice to end a $45 million a year contract with St John and bring the ambulance service into public hands.
00:45 The upcoming review will look into whether the current model of the ambulance system is fit for purpose.
00:50 But it comes after two other probes into the system's performance looking into St John's finances and clinical care.
00:57 A review of any kind will always be embraced by us with open arms because we always like the opportunity to continuously improve.
01:05 The union also welcoming the review but railing against emergency services being privately run.
01:11 The morale is so low at St John and it keeps spiralling and spiralling.
01:15 We're doing everything we can to support our staff and their well-being.
01:19 This latest review is set to be handed down toward the end of this year, meaning it will fall on whichever party wins the upcoming territory election to implement or reject its recommendations.
01:30 So we need either the Labor government or the COP to step up and start listening to our paramedics and Territorians that we actually need to bring the ambulance service to government.
01:41 All agree that improvements are needed for this vital service where every second counts.
01:46 counts.
01:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]